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The big facts page

172 hurricane facts, all checked

Every fact on this site in one place, each linked to its National Hurricane Center, NOAA, NASA, Met Office or WMO source. Our build checks each one against the source text; see the sources page. Things that can change carry the date we checked them.

Jump to: What a hurricane is | Inside a hurricane | How hurricanes form | The Saffir-Simpson categories | Hurricane season | How hurricanes move | Names | Storm surge and hazards | Watches, warnings and being ready | Hurricane Hunters and forecasting | Around the world | History and records

About the numbers

Our sources sometimes put the same thing in different ways, so we say who says what. NOAA JetStream says tropical cyclones generally form at least 300 miles (480 km) from the equator; the Met Office puts it as about 5° to 30° north or south. The National Hurricane Center gives wind speeds in mph, knots and km/h, as one-minute averages measured 10 metres up. Figures that change, such as season averages and name lists, show the date we checked them.

What a hurricane is

  1. 1 A hurricane is a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters. NOAA Ocean Service: What is a hurricane?
  2. 2 A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organised system of clouds and thunderstorms that starts over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  3. 3 A tropical cyclone is a rotating low-pressure weather system with organised thunderstorms but no fronts (a front is a boundary between two air masses of different densities). NOAA Ocean Service: What is a hurricane?
  4. 4 Hurricanes and typhoons are the same weather phenomenon: tropical cyclones. The only difference is where the storm happens. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon?
  5. 5 In the North Atlantic, central North Pacific and eastern North Pacific, the word is hurricane. In the north-west Pacific it’s typhoon. In the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, it’s simply tropical cyclone. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon?
  6. 6 NASA calls hurricanes the most violent storms on Earth. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  7. 7 Tropical depression: a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  8. 8 Tropical storm: maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots). National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  9. 9 Hurricane: maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  10. 10 In km/h: a tropical depression has winds of 62 km/h or less, and a tropical storm 63 to 118 km/h. National Hurricane Center: Glossary
  11. 11 “Maximum sustained wind” means the highest one-minute average wind, measured 10 metres up with nothing in the way. National Hurricane Center: Glossary
  12. 12 By the time a tropical cyclone reaches hurricane strength it can be 300 to 500 miles across and up to five to six miles high. Met Office: What are hurricanes?
  13. 13 Tropical cyclones are rare in the South Atlantic. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  14. 14 A tropical disturbance is a patch of organised thunderstorms, generally 100 to 300 nautical miles across, that holds together for 24 hours or more. National Hurricane Center: Glossary
  15. 15 A “potential tropical cyclone” is a disturbance that isn’t a tropical cyclone yet, but could bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to land within 72 hours. National Hurricane Center: Glossary

Inside a hurricane

  1. 16 The eye is the roughly circular area of comparatively light winds at the centre of a severe tropical cyclone. National Hurricane Center: Glossary
  2. 17 The eyewall is a ring of cumulonimbus (thunderstorm) clouds around the eye. National Hurricane Center: Glossary
  3. 18 The eye is surrounded by the eyewall, where the winds are strongest. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  4. 19 The main parts of a tropical cyclone are the rainbands, the eye and the eyewall. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon?
  5. 20 In the very centre of the storm, air sinks, forming an eye that is mostly cloud-free. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon?
  6. 21 NASA says it is very calm and clear in the eye, with very low air pressure. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  7. 22 Air spirals in towards the centre (anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in the southern) and out of the top in the opposite direction. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon?
  8. 23 Storms north of the equator spin anticlockwise and storms south of the equator spin clockwise, because of Earth’s rotation. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  9. 24 Around the eye there is a fairly small area of intense winds at the surface, often well over 100 mph. Met Office: Development of tropical cyclones
  10. 25 A tropical cyclone has so many cumulonimbus clouds that they form huge, circular bands. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  11. 26 Landfall is when the centre of the storm crosses the coast. The strongest winds can reach land even if the centre doesn’t. National Hurricane Center: Glossary

How hurricanes form

  1. 27 Tropical cyclones are like giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel. That’s why they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  2. 28 The sea needs to be at least 27 °C (80 °F) through a depth of about 46 m (150 ft). NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  3. 29 The air must cool fast enough with height to be unstable, so storm clouds can keep growing. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  4. 30 There must be fairly moist air in the middle of the atmosphere, around 4,900 m (16,000 ft) up. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  5. 31 The storm generally needs to be at least 300 miles (480 km) from the equator. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  6. 32 There must already be a disturbance near the surface to get things started. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  7. 33 Vertical wind shear (the change in wind speed with height) must be low: less than about 23 mph (37 km/h). NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  8. 34 With only the rarest exceptions, these storms don’t form within 5° latitude of the equator, because the Coriolis force that makes them spin is too weak there. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  9. 35 A rare exception: Typhoon Vamei formed near Singapore on 27 December 2001, centred at 1.5°N. Its circulation was on both sides of the equator. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  10. 36 Most tropical cyclones start as easterly waves (also called tropical waves): troughs of low pressure drifting west in the tropical easterly winds. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  11. 37 Warm, moist air over the ocean rises, leaving lower air pressure below. Air from around it pushes in, warms up, gets moist and rises too. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  12. 38 As water vapour rises it cools and condenses into clouds, releasing heat. That heat makes the air lighter, so it keeps rising, and more air rushes in near the surface: the strong wind we feel. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  13. 39 Warm water powers the tropical cyclone and is the most important factor in its development. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  14. 40 The energy comes from warm water evaporating from the ocean, and around 90% of that stored energy is released by condensation. Met Office: Development of tropical cyclones
  15. 41 As little as 3% of a tropical cyclone’s heat energy may turn into the energy of its spinning winds. Even that is a power supply of about 1.5 × 10¹² watts: about half the world’s electricity generating capacity. Met Office: Development of tropical cyclones
  16. 42 Tropical cyclones move heat from the ocean to the upper atmosphere, where winds carry it towards the poles. This keeps the polar regions from being as cold as they could be, and the tropics a bit cooler. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  17. 43 Over land a hurricane usually weakens, because it is no longer being fed by energy from warm ocean water. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  18. 44 NOAA says that once the eye moves over land the storm weakens rapidly, not because of friction, but because it has lost the moisture and heat the ocean provided. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  19. 45 Rarely, the “brown ocean effect” lets a storm keep or even gain strength inland. The ground must be very warm and very wet, so the land mimics the sea. Met Office: Brown ocean effect
  20. 46 Tropical Storm Bill, which formed on 16 June 2015, was boosted this way and dropped huge amounts of rain on Texas and Oklahoma. Met Office: Brown ocean effect
  21. 47 If a tropical cyclone travels towards the poles, it can turn into an extratropical (post-tropical) storm. Met Office: What are hurricanes?
  22. 48 People have suggested “seeding” hurricanes with chemicals, or even using nuclear weapons. NOAA says these ideas vastly underestimate the energy the storms release, and weakening them would mean the oceans keep more heat. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  23. 49 A tropical cyclone’s life can be over in as little as 24 hours; others last as long as a month. WMO: Tropical cyclone
  24. 50 So much of the Sun’s heat in the tropics goes into evaporation and rain that temperatures there rarely go above 35 °C (95 °F). NOAA JetStream: Tropical weather

The Saffir-Simpson categories

  1. 51 The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane’s maximum sustained wind speed. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  2. 52 The scale does not take into account other deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding and tornadoes. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  3. 53 Category 1: 74–95 mph (119–153 km/h). Very dangerous winds will produce some damage: roofs, shingles and gutters can be damaged, large branches snap, and power cuts could last a few to several days. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  4. 54 Category 2: 96–110 mph (154–177 km/h). Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: major roof damage, many shallowly rooted trees snapped or uprooted, and near-total power loss lasting several days to weeks. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  5. 55 Category 3 (major): 111–129 mph (178–208 km/h). Devastating damage will occur. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  6. 56 Category 4 (major): 130–156 mph (209–251 km/h). Catastrophic damage will occur. Power cuts will last weeks to possibly months, and most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  7. 57 Category 5 (major): 157 mph (252 km/h) or higher. Catastrophic damage will occur: a high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  8. 58 Hurricanes rated Category 3 and higher are called major hurricanes. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  9. 59 Hurricanes of all categories can produce deadly storm surge, rain-induced floods and tornadoes. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  10. 60 In the western North Pacific, “super typhoon” is used for tropical cyclones with sustained winds over 150 mph. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
  11. 61 The scale was created by wind engineer Herb Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson, to help explain the damage buildings would suffer at different wind speeds. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  12. 62 The Met Office says the scale began in 1971 with Herbert Saffir, a civil engineer, and Bob Simpson of the US National Hurricane Center. Met Office: Measuring tropical cyclones
  13. 63 Although it was developed in the USA, the Met Office says tropical cyclones around the world are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Met Office: Measuring tropical cyclones
  14. 64 Categories only tell part of the story: a tropical storm or a Category 1 or 2 hurricane can cause as much overall damage as a major hurricane. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  15. 65 Major hurricanes have winds of at least 111 mph and can reach over 180 mph, with gusts of 200 mph. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  16. 66 NASA Space Place’s table gives storm surges of about 4–5 feet for Category 1, rising to 19 feet or more for Category 5. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?

Hurricane season

  1. 67 The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  2. 68 The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  3. 69 Hurricanes can, and have, happened outside the official season. NOAA Ocean Service: What is a hurricane?
  4. 70 Ninety-seven per cent of Atlantic tropical cyclone activity happens between 1 June and 30 November. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon?
  5. 71 The peak of the Atlantic season is 10 September, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  6. 72 An average Atlantic season (1991–2020) has 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology · checked 31 Oct 2026
  7. 73 An average eastern Pacific season (1991–2020) has 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology · checked 31 Oct 2026
  8. 74 In the Atlantic, the first named storm typically forms in mid to late June, the first hurricane in early to mid August, and the first major hurricane in late August or early September. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  9. 75 On average (1991–2020), the Atlantic’s first named storm has formed by 20 June, its first hurricane by 11 August and its first major hurricane by 1 September. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology · checked 31 Oct 2026
  10. 76 In the southern hemisphere the season lasts from November to April, but storms are less common there than in the northern hemisphere. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  11. 77 In the northern hemisphere, tropical cyclones happen between June and November, peaking in September. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  12. 78 In the north-west Pacific, tropical cyclones happen all year round; the main season is July to November. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  13. 79 Around the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, tropical cyclones happen from April to December, with a double peak in May and November. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  14. 80 There are seven regions (basins) around the world where tropical cyclones are likely to form. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  15. 81 NOAA says the time to prepare is before hurricane season begins: 1 June in the Atlantic and central Pacific, 15 May in the eastern Pacific. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  16. 82 2005 was an unusually busy Atlantic season: 27 named storms, including 15 hurricanes. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  17. 83 Only since satellite pictures arrived in the 1960s have we been able to count, track and watch these storms properly across the oceans. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  18. 84 Tropical cyclones in the Atlantic region, which affect the Caribbean and USA, usually make up less than 15% of all tropical cyclone activity worldwide. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones

How hurricanes move

  1. 85 Tropical cyclones first move westward, carried by easterly winds, and slightly towards the poles. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  2. 86 When Atlantic tropical cyclones reach latitudes near 30°N, they often turn north-east. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology
  3. 87 An average tropical cyclone can travel about 300 to 400 miles a day, or about 3,000 miles before it dies out. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  4. 88 As it moves towards the poles it speeds up, and may reach 30 mph or more. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  5. 89 More than one tropical storm can be going on in the same ocean at once. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones

Names

  1. 90 Storms get short, easily remembered names because that is quicker and reduces confusion, especially when two or more storms are around at the same time. NOAA Ocean Service: Why do we name storms?
  2. 91 Long ago, storms were named haphazardly: an Atlantic storm that ripped the mast off a boat called Antje became known as “Antje’s hurricane”. WMO: Tropical cyclone naming
  3. 92 Later, storms were identified by their latitude and longitude, but short names proved quicker and less likely to cause mistakes. WMO: Tropical cyclone naming
  4. 93 Names were first used widely in the Second World War. Met Office: How are hurricanes named?
  5. 94 In 1953 the United States began using female names for storms. By 1978 both male and female names were used for northern Pacific storms, and the Atlantic followed in 1979. NOAA Ocean Service: Why do we name storms?
  6. 95 The Atlantic has six lists of names, used in rotation: the 2026 list will be used again in 2032. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names · checked 31 Oct 2026
  7. 96 The 2026 Atlantic list begins Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names · checked 31 Oct 2026
  8. 97 If an Atlantic season has more than 21 named storms, the extra storms take names from an alternate list approved by the WMO. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names
  9. 98 If a storm is so deadly or costly that using its name again would be inappropriate, a WMO committee strikes it off the list and picks a replacement. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names
  10. 99 Can you have a storm named after you? The National Hurricane Center says it doesn’t control the naming of tropical storms: the lists come from a World Meteorological Organization committee. National Hurricane Center: FAQ
  11. 100 Tropical cyclones are not named after individuals. New names should be short, easy to say and mean the right thing in different languages. WMO: Tropical cyclone naming
  12. 101 In the western North Pacific and North Indian Oceans, most names aren’t personal names: they include flowers, animals, birds, trees, foods and describing words. Met Office: How are hurricanes named?
  13. 102 A storm is usually named when it reaches tropical storm strength (winds of 34 knots). Met Office: How are hurricanes named?
  14. 103 The Met Office and Met Éireann also name storms, but that’s to help warnings reach people, not because those storms are as strong as tropical cyclones. Met Office: How are hurricanes named?
  15. 104 A storm that forms out of season takes its name by date: one forming on 28 December would take a name from the previous season’s list. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names
  16. 105 Before it gets a name, every tropical depression gets a code of two digits and a letter. The digits start at “01” each season. Met Office: How are hurricanes named?
  17. 106 The central North Pacific has its own lists, starting Akoni, Ema, Hone, Iona, Keli, Lala. Lala was the first name lined up for the 2026 central Pacific season. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names · checked 31 Oct 2026
  18. 107 From 1953, Atlantic storm names came from lists drawn up by the National Hurricane Center. Today an international WMO committee looks after them. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone names

Storm surge and hazards

  1. 108 Storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level generated by a storm, over and above the predicted tide. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  2. 109 The National Hurricane Center says storm surge is currently the leading cause of deaths from hurricanes. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  3. 110 Storm surge is mainly caused by a hurricane’s strong onshore winds. In deep water there’s no sign of it, but near the coast the sea bed gets in the way and the water is pushed up and inland. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  4. 111 Storm surge can reach well over 20 feet and span hundreds of miles of coastline. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  5. 112 Water weighs about 1,700 pounds per cubic yard, so waves pounding again and again can knock down buildings not designed for it. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  6. 113 A wide, gently sloping sea floor allows a higher surge. That makes Louisiana and Mississippi especially vulnerable; Florida’s south-east coast, where the shelf drops off quickly, is less so. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  7. 114 A larger storm produces a higher surge. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  8. 115 A faster storm makes a higher surge right at the coast; a slower storm pushes the surge farther inland. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview
  9. 116 Water, not wind, is the biggest threat: historically, well over half of direct deaths from hurricanes landing in the US have come from water. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  10. 117 NOAA’s rule: run from the water, hide from the wind. That’s why most evacuation orders are given for water, not wind. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  11. 118 Tropical cyclones often bring torrential rain of more than 6 inches, and flooding is the major threat for people living inland. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  12. 119 How much rain falls depends on a storm’s speed and size and the land it crosses, not on its strength. Slower, bigger storms bring more rain, and mountains add more. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  13. 120 A tropical cyclone can pick up two billion tons of moisture a day and release it as rain. Met Office: Dangers of tropical cyclones
  14. 121 The strong winds can whip up waves up to 15 metres high. Met Office: Dangers of tropical cyclones
  15. 122 Never drive into flood water. The US National Weather Service slogan is “Turn Around Don’t Drown”. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  16. 123 In a hurricane, debris such as signs, roofing and small items left outside become flying missiles. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  17. 124 Hurricanes can cause dangerous rip currents far from the storm. In 2008 Hurricane Bertha was more than 1,000 miles offshore, yet its rip currents led to 1,500 lifeguard rescues in Ocean City, Maryland, in a week. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  18. 125 Hurricanes can also spin up tornadoes, most often in rain bands well away from the centre. They are usually fairly weak and short-lived. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  19. 126 Even tropical-storm-force winds are dangerous, so emergency managers aim to finish evacuations before they arrive, not just before hurricane-force winds. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  20. 127 Winds can stay above hurricane strength well inland: in 2004 Hurricane Charley did major damage across central Florida, with gusts of more than 100 mph. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane hazards
  21. 128 The WMO says tropical cyclones are the second most dangerous natural hazard, after earthquakes. WMO: Tropical cyclone
  22. 129 Over the past 50 years, the WMO counts 1,945 disasters caused by tropical cyclones, with US$1.4 trillion in economic losses. WMO: Tropical cyclone · checked 31 Oct 2026
  23. 130 A tropical cyclone often brings several hazards at once: extreme winds, heavy rain, storm surge and flooding, lightning and tornadoes. WMO: Tropical cyclone
  24. 131 Flooding from the rain can carry on for days or even weeks after a storm, many miles inland. NOAA Education: Hurricanes

Watches, warnings and being ready

  1. 132 A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible. A hurricane warning means they are expected. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning?
  2. 133 A hurricane watch is issued 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning?
  3. 134 A hurricane warning is issued 36 hours ahead, because getting ready becomes difficult once winds reach tropical storm force. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning?
  4. 135 During a hurricane watch: prepare your home and review your plan for evacuation. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning?
  5. 136 During a hurricane warning: finish storm preparations and leave the threatened area immediately if local officials tell you to. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning?
  6. 137 Be prepared to evacuate, and go immediately when ordered. Orders can come before any storm watch or warning. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  7. 138 Know your risk, especially if you live in a storm surge evacuation zone or somewhere that could flood. Even if you’ve been through a storm before, the next one may bring different hazards. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  8. 139 Where flooding is a risk, get to high ground away from water. In high winds with no flooding, shelter in a sturdy building away from doors and windows. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  9. 140 Hazards don’t disappear when the weather clears. NOAA advises against going into storm-damaged areas too soon, and many deaths are reported after storms end. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  10. 141 If you live in a low-lying or flood-prone area, have an evacuation plan before a storm begins. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  11. 142 Always follow evacuation orders, and never drive into flooded roads. NOAA Education: Hurricanes
  12. 143 In the USA, warnings are broadcast on TV and radio, including NOAA Weather Radio. Met Office: Tropical cyclone warnings
  13. 144 In the USA, getting people away from the coast can mean the mass evacuation of a million or more people. Met Office: Tropical cyclone warnings
  14. 145 In some places, specially designed shelters are built in advance, where people can ride out the worst of the weather. Met Office: Tropical cyclone warnings

Hurricane Hunters and forecasting

  1. 146 NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters fly into hurricanes. Their two WP-3D Orion planes are nicknamed “Kermit” and “Miss Piggy”. NOAA Aircraft Operations: Hurricane Hunters
  2. 147 A Hurricane Hunter mission lasts 8–10 hours: through the eyewall into the calm of the eye, again and again. NOAA Aircraft Operations: Hurricane Hunters
  3. 148 Scientists on board drop GPS dropwindsondes, which send back pressure, humidity, temperature and wind as they fall towards the sea. NOAA Aircraft Operations: Hurricane Hunters
  4. 149 NOAA’s Gulfstream IV-SP jet flies high around the storm, cruising at 45,000 ft, to map the winds that steer it. NOAA Aircraft Operations: Hurricane Hunters
  5. 150 Reconnaissance flights mainly find the centre of the storm and measure the central pressure and surface winds around the eye. NOAA Aircraft Operations: Hurricane Hunters
  6. 151 NOAA’s GOES weather satellites, built by NASA, watch hurricanes from 22,300 miles above Earth. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?
  7. 152 Infrared satellite pictures show the temperature of cloud tops: the colder the top, the higher the cloud reaches. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  8. 153 The US National Hurricane Center forecasts all tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic and the north-east Pacific east of 140°W. National Hurricane Center: FAQ
  9. 154 After a hurricane passes, the sea behind it is cooler, because the storm has taken heat from the ocean. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  10. 155 Once a tropical depression is spotted, forecasters send out a series of advisories giving its expected track and strength. Met Office: Tropical cyclone warnings

Around the world

  1. 156 Tropical cyclones form in tropical oceans between about 5° and 30° north or south of the equator, where the sea is at least 27 °C. Met Office: Development of tropical cyclones
  2. 157 Hurricanes can’t form at the UK’s latitude: they need much warmer seas than those near the UK. Met Office: What are hurricanes?
  3. 158 The UK is sometimes hit by storms that used to be hurricanes, such as ex-Hurricane Ophelia in 2017. Met Office: What are hurricanes?
  4. 159 Intense mid-latitude storms can bring near-hurricane-strength winds, like the Great Storm of 16 October 1987. Met Office: What are hurricanes?
  5. 160 The Met Office’s list of names: hurricane (Atlantic and north-east Pacific), typhoon or super typhoon (north-west Pacific), severe tropical cyclone (south-west Pacific and south-east Indian Ocean), severe cyclonic storm (north Indian Ocean) and tropical cyclone (south-west Indian Ocean). Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  6. 161 Indian Ocean cyclones can affect India, Bangladesh, north-west Australia, parts of east Africa, and islands such as Mauritius and Madagascar. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  7. 162 Pacific tropical cyclones can affect Mexico, south-east Asia, north-east Australia and the south Pacific islands. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones
  8. 163 Tropical cyclones most often make landfall in the USA and Asia. Met Office: Location of tropical cyclones

History and records

  1. 164 The Galveston hurricane of 1900 was the deadliest weather disaster in United States history. Storm tides of 8 to 15 ft flooded the whole of Galveston Island. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane history
  2. 165 About 8,000 people died in the Galveston hurricane (estimates range from 6,000 to 12,000), mostly because of the storm tides. National Hurricane Center: Hurricane history
  3. 166 In the NHC’s table of the most intense US mainland hurricanes (1851–2004), number one is an unnamed 1935 Florida Keys storm: Category 5, with a central pressure of 892 millibars. National Hurricane Center: Most intense US hurricanes 1851–2004
  4. 167 Next on that table come Camille (1969, 909 mb) and Andrew (1992, 922 mb), both Category 5 at landfall. National Hurricane Center: Most intense US hurricanes 1851–2004
  5. 168 Tropical cyclone records began in 1886 in the North Atlantic and in 1945 in the western North Pacific. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  6. 169 Before Vamei, the lowest latitude on record for a tropical cyclone was 3.3°N, for Typhoon Sarah in 1956. NOAA JetStream: Tropical cyclone introduction
  7. 170 In 2025 the WMO Hurricane Committee retired the names Beryl, Helene, Milton and John. WMO: Tropical cyclone · checked 31 Oct 2026
  8. 171 On 28 October 2025 the WMO reported that Category 5 Hurricane Melissa had hit Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. WMO: Tropical cyclone · checked 31 Oct 2026
  9. 172 The Met Office says the most widely publicised near-hurricane-strength storm in the UK was the Great Storm of 16 October 1987. Met Office: What are hurricanes?