Among tropical cyclones, a hurricane is one of them. A tropical cyclone is a weather system that rotates rapidly. It is characterized by a low-pressure centre and a closed atmospheric circulation at low elevations. It also has an arrangement of thunderstorms which is a spiral that produces heavy rain. A hurricane occurs in the northeast of the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the northwest of the Pacific Ocean, or in the Indian Ocean. The biggest and most destructive storms on Earth are hurricanes.
Background
- Over the past thousand years, tropical cyclones have struck the Earth. Among these, one of the first tropical cyclones ever recorded would have occurred in Western Australia which was around 4,000 BC. But at that point, there was no way of detecting a tropical cyclone unless it hit land or a ship suffered. When satellite images became available in the twentieth century, they are easily detectable.
- Currently, approximately 80-90 named tropical cyclones are formed on Earth each year. Of these, over half are hurricane-strength winds of 120 km/h or more. All over the world, it is generally considered that a tropical cyclone formed with average winds of 65 km/h. At this stage, it is assumed that a tropical cyclone has become self-sustaining and can escalate without any environmental support.
- According to a study, published in 2021 in Nature Geoscience, ‘the geographical range of tropical cyclones is likely to expand towards the pole in response to the warming climate of Hadley circulation.’
Intensity of Hurricane
- The intensity of a tropical Cyclone is based on the speed of the wind and on the atmospheric pressure. In order to determine the intensity of the storm, we must understand the relation between the wind and the pressure. For this purpose, the Australian Scale and the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale are being used to measure wind speed to determine storm classification. In 1979, the most severe storm, Typhoon Tip in the Pacific Northwest was recorded. This storm reached a minimum pressure of 871 hPa and the maximum speed of the wind reached 189 mph. The highest sustained speed of the wind was ever recorded at 213 mph in 2015 for Hurricane Patricia. This is the strongest hurricane ever registered in the western hemisphere.
Formation of a Hurricane
- To function properly, Tropical cyclones need warm and moist air as fuel. So that, to form a tropical cyclone, the first ingredient is worm ocean water, where rain clouds are being built. In this regard, tropical cyclones form only in tropical regions. Here the ocean is at least 46 degrees C for at least at the top 165 feet below the surface.
- The wind is the second component of a tropical storm. The wind moving across the Atlantic from Africa to the west supplies the essential component for hurricanes to form in the Atlantic Ocean. Water on the ocean’s surface evaporates (becomes water vapour) and rises as the wind blows over it. Big cumulonimbus clouds are created as the water vapour cools and condenses again into large drops of water as it climbs. It is only the beginning.
Common Regions of Hurricanes
- Generally, hurricanes occur in the northeast of the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the northwest of the Pacific Ocean or in the Indian Ocean. Hurricanes are the largest and most severe storms on Earth.
- There are many names of Tropical cyclones in different parts of the world. In the Pacific Ocean and China, it is known as Typhoons; in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean sea it is Known as Hurricane; in the Southern USA and Western Africa, it is known as Tornadoes; in the Northwest of Australia, it is known as willy and in the Indian Ocean, it is known as Tropical Cyclone.
The Development of a Tropical Cyclone
The development of a tropical cyclone is divided into four stages by the Meteorologists department, such as-
- Tropical disturbance, where the heated ocean’s water vaporizes and releases its heat to the atmosphere when it condenses to form clouds. Warm air rises and draws into the column of cloud. Condensation and evaporation keep going on and increase the height and size of the columns of the cloud. As a pattern emerges, the wind circles around the centre. A tropical disturbance is a collection of thunderstorm clouds that form by encountering more clouds.
- In tropical depression, where the air towards the top of the cloud column is cooling and getting unstable as the thunderstorm rises higher and higher. The heat energy from the cooling water vapour is released when the air at the top of the clouds warms up by raising the air pressure and driving winds to travel away from the high-pressure area. As a result the pressures at the surface decrease. More thunderstorms are developed when the surface air rises and travels into the area of lower pressure. The storm cloud column’s winds are whipping around in a circle as they become quicker and faster. Whenever a storm’s winds are between 26 and 37 mph, it is referred to as a tropical depression.
- A tropical cyclone, A tropical depression develops into a tropical cyclone, when wind speeds reach 39 mph. The storm is also given a name at this time. The storm’s eye, or calm core, is swiftly surrounded by swirling winds. In the northern hemisphere, the wind blows anticlockwise (from west to east), while in the southern hemisphere, the wind blows clockwise (from east to west). This situation is called The Coriolis effect.
- Hurricane, When the speeds of the wind reach 75 mph, the storm is officially called a hurricane. the storm spans an area of about 125 miles and at least 50,000 feet high. The eye’s width ranges from 5 to 30 miles. The trade winds blow from the east towards the west. It pushed The hurricane toward the west. A massive accumulation of ocean water is also surrounded by the hurricane’s eye due to the low air pressure and the winds. When the water reaches land, it can result in enormous storm surges.
Categories of Hurricane
Categories |
Wind speed(mph) |
Damage at Landfall |
|
1 |
74-95 |
Minimum |
|
2 |
96-110 |
Moderate |
|
3 |
111-129 |
Extensive |
|
4 |
130-156 |
Extreme |
|
5 |
157 or above |
Catastrophic |
Parts of a Hurricane
There are three parts of a Hurricane. They are
- Eye: It is the “hole” at the centre of the storm. in this area, Winds are much lighter than in the surrounding. Skies are partly cloudy, and even sometimes clear.
- Eye Wall is a ring of thunderstorms. It swirls around the eye. Here the winds are strongest and the rain is heaviest.
- Rain Bands are bands of clouds. Rain goes far out from a hurricane’s eye wall. These bands are several miles long. Thunderstorms and tornadoes can occasionally be found there.
Naming
- Every year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order. This name is given and maintained by the World Meteorological Organization since 1953. The names come from a list for that year. There are six lists of names that have been reused every six years.
Impact of Hurricane
- Animals and plants can be wiped out during hurricanes as a result of devastating winds, flooding, and storm surge.
- Animals that depend on these creatures as a food source can die if there is no other alternative source of food.
- Beaches are most affected by hurricanes and are eroded when storms hit coasts. Beachfront creatures can be swept away by violent hurricanes.
- Furthermore, erosion and sediment deposition typically affect coral reefs. Hurricanes introduce salt water into nearby creeks and freshwater lakes. As a result, a huge fish died. It also destroys other lake habitats.
- Hurricanes have the potential to have a significant impact on agriculture. For example, hurricanes produce heavy rains and strong winds which can kill cattle and damage crops.
- Building collapse can result in injury and death. But the greatest impacts of hurricanes happen after the storm.
Some Recent News about Hurricane
- On October 2022, a destructive hurricane hit on the USA, named Hurricane Ian. At least 66 people have reportedly died in Florida as a result of Hurricane Ian, and four people have been killed in North Carolina in hurricane-related incidents.
- On September 2022, another devastating hurricane, named Hurricane Fiona rushed towards Atlantic Canada with strong wind and heavy rainfall.
Conclusion
- Basically, Hurricane is a type of Tropical Cyclone. It is the most destructive type of natural disaster. It causes destruction to property as well as many life in every year. It has a lot of negative impacts on the ecosystem.
- A lot of animals and plants destroy due to this type of tropical cyclone. It also has many negative impacts on the social and economic life of humans. It destroy many infrastructures and properties.
- Today, weather satellites help us to track tropical cyclones. Every half an hour, it sends images and weather information from space to understand the possibilities of the formation of a Hurricane. It helps us to take necessary steps to prevent lives from the destruction by the storm.
F&Q on Hurricanes
Q1. What is Hurricane?
Ans: It is a type of Tropical Cyclone that is characterized by a low-pressure centre and a closed atmospheric circulation at low elevations. It also has an arrangement of thunderstorms which is a spiral that produces heavy rain.
Q2. Where does a Hurricane Occur?
Ans: A hurricane occurs in the northeast of the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the northwest of the Pacific Ocean or in the Indian Ocean.
Q3. What are the other names of hurricanes?
Ans: In the Philippines and western North Pacific, it is known as “typhoons”, whereas in the South Pacific Ocean and in India, it is known as “cyclones”.
Q4. What are the parts of a Hurricane?
Ans: There are three parts of a Hurricane; the eye, eyewall, and rain band.
Q5. How are Hurricanes named?
Ans: Every year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order. This name is given and maintained by the World Meteorological Organization since 1953. The names come from a list for that year. There are six lists of names that have been reused every six years.
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