How do hurricanes form over the Atlantic Ocean ?

Hurricanes also called tropical cyclones are amazing, powerful storms that can bring destruction and misery to an area hit by the hurricane. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 1.2 million Americans live in coastal areas at risk of “substantial damage” from hurricanes. ** Free How Hurricanes Form worksheet that covers the video ** http://www.moomoomathblog.com/2025/04... In this video I will look at the causes these tremendous storms? In the northern hemisphere most hurricanes will begin to form around the equator off the coast of west Africa. The official hurricane season is between June 1 and November 30 Why do hurricanes occur during this time period.? The reason is that hurricanes need the ocean surface temperature to be at least 79-degree Fahrenheit. In addition, you need high pressure above the hurricane and low wind shear. Between June and November both of these conditions are meet often Hurricanes are like giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel. That is why they form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air over the ocean rises upward from near the surface. As the warm air rises a low-pressure system is created. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes into the low-pressure area. Then that "new" air becomes warm and moist and rises, too. As the warmed, moist air rises and cools off, the water in the air forms clouds. The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, fed by the ocean's heat and water evaporating from the surface Tradewinds which blow across the equator help push the storm along. The hurricane will rotate in an in a counterclockwise fashion in the north due to the Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect is caused by the earth's rotation and curves air in the northern hemisphere to the right. The hurricane will continue to move across the ocean and pick up strength if the water temperature remains above 79 degrees, high pressure remains above the storm, and there is moisture to fuel the storm. Hurricane strength is measured by wind speed and barometric pressure. The minimum wind speed to be classified as a hurricane is 74 degrees and category 5 hurricanes have a wind speed greater than 157 miles per hour. As a general guideline, September is the peak month for hurricanes because of the warm surface temperatures during this month. If you enjoyed this video you may enjoy the Earth Science Course with an emphasis on Wind, Water, and Weather. The course includes 9 videos along with a study guide and an answer key for each guide. In addition there is a short enrichment activity for each video. Link to the playlist Earth Science Astronomy Course    • Earth Science Course | Astronomy |