How do Hurricanes work.
Hurricanes are defined by the following characteristics: They are tropical, meaning that they are generated in tropical areas of the ocean near the Equator. They are cyclonic, meaning that their winds swirl around a central eye. Wind direction is counterclockwise (west to east) in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise (east to west) in the Southern Hemisphere (more about this later). They are low-pressure systems. The eye of a hurricane is always a low-pressure area. The lowest barometric pressures ever recorded have occurred inside hurricanes. The winds swirling around the center of the storm have a sustained speed of at least 74 mph (119 kph / 64 kt). How a Hurricane Forms Hurricanes form in tropical regions where there is warm water (at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit / 27 degrees Celsius), moist air and converging equatorial winds. Most Atlantic hurricanes begin off the west coast of Africa, starting as thunderstorms that move out over the warm, tropical ocean waters. A thunderstorm re
