Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, Cyclones, and Typhoons

Hurricanes are massive rotating storms that transfer heat and energy from the equatorial regions of the globe to the poles. They are formed by warm, moist air and the rotation of the globe.

Hurricanes are possibly one of the most perilous natural hazards known to man, as they have colossal impacts on both humans and the environment in which they live.

Hurricane Bill

Bill is now officially the 1st hurricane of the season with winds reaching over 135mph it has been classified as a category 4 storm. Current predictions of it’s path vary from hitting Bermuda in 3-4 days to missing it entirely and skimming the coast of the mainland USA. The one thing that is for certain is that Bill will certainly cause rip currents and wave swells. It is also possible that due to the favourable weather and sea conditions that Bill will continue to strengthen before making landfall.

Pictured – 19th August

Pictured – 12th August

Tropical Storm Anna:

This was expected to make landfall in the Leeward Islands on Wednesday 19th August, current predictions of the windspeeds make it a tropical depression.

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Felicia:

Hurricane Felicia has been downgraded to a tropical storm, as it winds have reduced from 140mph to around 50mph. It continued to diminish before it made landfall in the Hawaiian island chain as it is continued to move over cooler water. Even though Felicia has been downgraded it is still likely to cause flooding throughout the island chain.

What is a hurricane?

A hurricane is a massive spinning storm with an area of very low pressure at the centre. The average wind-speed in a hurricane is over 140km per hour or 74 mph. The storm can be up to 17km or 10miles high and on average 800km or 500miles wide. It moves forwards at speeds of about 30km per hour or 20mph like a huge spinning top. An average hurricane can travel 500 – 650 km or 300 to 400 miles a day and can travel in total about 5000km or 3000miles before it dies out.

Image via Wikipedia