Developmental Stages Of A Hurricane Essay

A hurricane is a low-pressure cyclonic storm that develops in the tropical ocean from the easterly wave (Guida). They typically form between 5 degrees and 20 degrees latitude north or south (Guida). Hurricanes move in a counterclockwise motion from east to west in the trade winds and from west to east in the westerlies (Guida). Hurricanes have an average diameter of 344 miles and move 10 to 31 miles per hour (Guida). The strongest part of a hurricane lies in the right front/ northeast quadrant only if the storm is northbound (Guida). There are four developmental stages of a hurricane and each of them are differentiated by wind speed (Guida). The first is a tropical disturbance with thunderstorms, then a tropical depression with winds speeds between 23 and 39 mph, then a tropical storm with wind speeds …show more content…
Hurricanes are divided into five categories using different variables on the Saffir/Simpson scale (Guida). Those variables include pressure, wind speed, water surge, and damage (Guida). Hurricanes require the Coriolis force, warm ocean water that is at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, upper level winds with minimal force, and upper level divergence of air that exceeds the lower level convergence of air (Guida). The reason the upper level divergence must exceed lower convergence is so that the hurricane can “keep drawing air and moisture upward” (Guida). Additionally, the reason weak upper winds are favorable is because strong upper winds cause the top layer of clouds vanish (Guida). The hurricane is comprised of three parts: the eye, collar clouds, and spiral rain bands (Guida). The eye is the center of the hurricane with sinking air inside (Guida). The collars clouds are composed of thick cumulonimbus clouds. The boundary between the eye and collar clouds “is the most extreme in nature.” (Guida). A hurricane begins to dissipate over land because there is no more warm water to feed it