Questions people actually ask

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? Hurricane: maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology

Hurricanes and typhoons are the same weather phenomenon: tropical cyclones. The only difference is where the storm happens. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane or typhoon? 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?

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? 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

The eye is the roughly circular area of comparatively light winds at the centre of a severe tropical cyclone. National Hurricane Center: Glossary NASA says it is very calm and clear in the eye, with very low air pressure. NASA Space Place: How do hurricanes form?

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 Hurricanes rated Category 3 and higher are called major hurricanes. National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology The peak of the Atlantic season is 10 September, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology

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

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 A storm is usually named when it reaches tropical storm strength (winds of 34 knots). Met Office: How are hurricanes named?

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

A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible. A hurricane warning means they are expected. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning? A hurricane watch is issued 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected. NOAA Ocean Service: Hurricane watch or warning? 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?

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 The National Hurricane Center says storm surge is currently the leading cause of deaths from hurricanes. National Hurricane Center: Storm surge overview

Hurricanes can’t form at the UK’s latitude: they need much warmer seas than those near the UK. Met Office: What are hurricanes? The UK is sometimes hit by storms that used to be hurricanes, such as ex-Hurricane Ophelia in 2017. Met Office: What are hurricanes?

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? 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

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?

A tropical cyclone’s life can be over in as little as 24 hours; others last as long as a month. WMO: Tropical cyclone 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