What Makes a Hurricane?

Think of a hurricane as a giant heat pump--pumping the energy stored in tropical ocean water warmed by the blazing sun to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

Such water can make for one heck of a beach vacation. But it also makes for warm humid air that can cause big trouble, when ocean winds coming from different directions converge and help push the humid air upward. As the humid air rises, it cools and condenses into powerful storm clouds and releases the latent heat energy of the tropical ocean water.

Members, read this article now

Get it as an easy-print PDF