Hurricanes
How they form
Hurricane hour!
Hurricanes are tropical cyclonic storms. In the tropics there is a area of low pressure on the northern and/or southern side of the equator. inside of the area the ocean is warmer and heats the air above it. The warm air rises until it cools and forms thundery clouds. When the air rises more air replaces it, as more clouds form and more air is pushed up, the clouds start spinning and eventually it becomes a hurricane. Hurricane winds have to be over 74 miles per hour to be an actual hurricane, once the winds reach 74mph it is a category one hurricane. Hurricanes become stronger over warm water. Hurricanes can also grow as move more warm air enters it and it keeps getting stronger.
Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane winds
Destruction after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane fun facts!
- Once a hurricane has winds up to 95mph it is a category 2 hurricane.
- The eye of the hurricane is the storm's calmest spot.
- Hurricanes can also be called typhoons and cyclones.
- Meteoroligists give hurricanes names such as Arlene, Bret, and Cindy (2011)
- Hurricane Katrina (2005) was a category 5 hurricane so it had winds over 155 miles per hour
How to stay safe in hurricanes
If there is a hurricane hitting where you live, here are some ways to stay safe:
- Have your family agree on a safe place to meet.
- Make a safe kit that has, a flashlight, some snacks, blankets, water, batteries, and a radio so you can hear meteoroligists give you updates on the hurricane's status.
- If the govenor or mayor requests you to evacuate your house, you should probably leave
Glossary
Meteoroligist-A person who studies and predicts the weather.
Hurricane-A violent tropical cyclonic storm of the western north Atlantic.
Equator-An imaginary line drawn around the earth equally from both poles dividing the earth in to a northern and southern hemesphere.
Definitions from: www.dictionary.com