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What is a hurricane?

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Quick answer

A hurricane is a huge, spinning storm that forms over warm ocean water, with powerful winds and heavy rain rotating around a calm center called the eye. The same kind of storm is called a typhoon in the northwest Pacific and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

Key things to understand

  1. Hurricanes form over warm tropical oceans (about 26°C and above), which supply the heat and moisture that power them.
  2. Warm, moist air rises and spirals, and Earth's rotation gives the storm its characteristic spin.
  3. At the center is the eye — a calm, clear zone — surrounded by the eyewall, where the strongest winds are.
  4. They're rated 1–5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale by wind speed; a hurricane has winds of at least 119 km/h.
  5. Main hazards: destructive winds, torrential rain, flooding, and storm surge — a wall of seawater pushed ashore.

People also ask

What's the difference between a hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone?
They're the same kind of storm — the name depends on location. It's a hurricane in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific, a typhoon in the northwest Pacific, and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific.
How is a hurricane different from a tornado?
A hurricane is huge (hundreds of km), forms over warm oceans, and lasts days. A tornado is small (often under a km), forms over land from thunderstorms, and lasts minutes — though its winds can be even faster.
What is the eye of a hurricane?
The calm, low-pressure center. Skies there can be clear, but it's ringed by the eyewall — the band of the most violent winds and rain.

Part of the guide: Water & Weather Phenomena →