Understanding Hurricanes: Nature's Powerhouse

A hurricane is a powerful tropical storm with the potential to cause significant damage. It forms over the Atlantic Ocean. Structurally, a hurricane resembles a tornado, but unlike tornadoes, which form on land, hurricanes form over the sea, and they are much more intense. Similar storms occur in other parts of the world: those in the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons, while storms in the Indian Ocean are known as cyclones.

A hurricane develops when storm clouds are drawn over warm regions of the Atlantic Ocean. The warm air from the sea mixes with the air from the storm, rising upwards in a heating process. This leads to low pressure at sea level. Winds contribute to this by creating a spinning motion, and to balance the low pressure, more air is drawn inward. Gradually, the spinning speed increases. The more air that feeds into the storm, the larger and more intense it becomes. A hurricane can form within hours to several days. At the center of the hurricane is the "eye of the storm," which is a relatively calm area with low air pressure and milder winds, while the rain and vortex swirl around it.