Hurricanes
Summer also brings
hurricanes. From late spring to early fall, weather conditions come together to form
swirling tropical cyclones over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These develop from areas
of low pressure and thunderstorms over the warm seawater. The thunderstorms give off heat
that warms the atmosphere. Air rises and the barometric pressure falls even more. As the
air pressure drops, winds increase, and a tropical depression may form. When steady winds
reach 39 miles an hour, the cyclone is called a tropical storm and it gets a name. If
winds reach a speed of 74 miles an hour inside the tropical cyclone, we call it a
hurricane. Near the hurricane’s center will be an area with very few clouds where the
air sinks. This is the “eye” of the hurricane. Most hurricanes never reach
the United States coastline, but those that do can bring high waves, coastal flooding and
destructive winds.
What’s In a Name?
During World War II, Navy meteorologists began giving
names to tropical storms and hurricanes. By the 1953, the practice of naming storms became
official. At first, hurricanes only had names of women, but in 1978, men’s names were
added. See this year’s list of Atlantic names below. The World Meteorological
Organization gives the first tropical storm or hurricane of the season a name that starts
with “A.” The name of the second begins with a “B,” and so on. The
names help identify the storms. Six lists of names are rotated year after year, so this
list will be used again in seven years. If a tropical storm or hurricane on the list
causes enough destruction, the name will not be used again.
Did You Know?
Typhoons are the same thing as hurricanes. That is
the name used in the western Pacific Ocean. In the Indian Ocean, they are called tropical
cyclones.
For more on hurricanes, visit the National Hurricane Center Web Site.
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©Copyright 2004 Nick Walker/Small Gate Media