Hurricanes: Nature's Powerful Storms

• Hurricanes are severe storms with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour, known as typhoons or cyclones in other regions of the world.
• Hurricanes form between June and November in the northern hemisphere when warm tropical sea water is heated by the Sun, causing air to rise and form rain clouds.
• When sustained wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour, a tropical depression is formed, which can develop into a hurricane if it reaches 74 miles per hour.
• Hurricanes can reach heights of 50,000 feet and spread out 125 miles in diameter, rotating counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
• The eye of a hurricane is a calm center with clear skies, surrounded by the eye wall where the fastest and most destructive winds are located.
• The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale categorizes hurricanes from 1 to 5 based on wind speeds, with category 5 hurricanes having winds exceeding 157 miles per hour.
• Hurricane names are used on a six-year rotation, alternating between boys' and girls' names in alphabetical order, with names retired if a storm is especially destructive.

Learn about hurricanes, severe storms with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour that form over warm tropical sea water. Understand how hurricanes develop, their structure including the eye and eye wall, categorization based on wind speeds, and the naming system used for hurricanes.