What is the function of a hurricane?
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What is the function of a hurricane?
Hurricanes serve the same purpose as winter storms, they vent off heat from the lower levels of the atmosphere. In summer months near the equator, ocean temperatures rise as the sun continually beats down on it.
What makes a hurricane stronger?
When the surface water is warm, the storm sucks up heat energy from the water, just like a straw sucks up a liquid. This creates moisture in the air. And the warmer the water, the more moisture is in the air. And that could mean bigger and stronger hurricanes.
What are the main parts of a hurricane?
Hurricanes have three main parts, the calm eye in the center, the eyewall where the winds and rains are the strongest, and the rain bands which spin out from the center and give the storm its size. Meteorologists use the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to classify hurricanes into categories one to five.
What is the strongest winds of a hurricane?
| Category | Sustained Winds |
|---|---|
| 2 | 96-110 mph 83-95 kt 154-177 km/h |
| 3 (major) | 111-129 mph 96-112 kt 178-208 km/h |
| 4 (major) | 130-156 mph 113-136 kt 209-251 km/h |
| 5 (major) | 157 mph or higher 137 kt or higher 252 km/h or higher |
What are the 5 parts of a hurricane?
A hurricane consists of five main parts: outflow, feeder bands, eyewall, eye, and the storm surge. Outflow is the high-level clouds moving outward from the hurricane. Feeder bands are the areas of heavy rain and gusty winds fed by the warm ocean.
Why are hurricanes important to Earth?
They destroy property and coastlines. They inundate areas with incredible amounts of rain, compounded by storm surge near the coasts, and they disrupt travel plans. Despite all of this, we need hurricanes. Yes, we really do because hurricanes are a critical part of Earth’s water cycle.
Where would you expect to find the strongest winds and highest storm surge in a hurricane?
The highest surge tends to occur near the “radius of maximum winds,” or where the strongest winds of the hurricane occur. Hurricane Charley, a category 4 hurricane at landfall in Florida, produced a storm surge of 6 to 8 ft.
Which hurricane had the strongest winds?
Hurricane Camille of 1969 had the highest wind speed at landfall, at an estimated 190 miles per hour when it struck the Mississippi coast. This wind speed at landfall is the highest ever recorded worldwide.
How strong is the hurricane?
| Category | Sustained Winds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 74-95 mph 64-82 kt 119-153 km/h |
| 2 | 96-110 mph 83-95 kt 154-177 km/h |
| 3 (major) | 111-129 mph 96-112 kt 178-208 km/h |
| 4 (major) | 130-156 mph 113-136 kt 209-251 km/h |