Sky Diary KIDSTORM * facts about hurricanes. Hurricanes are mind-boggling in their size and strength.
Modern technology lets us see how big hurricanes are and track them through satellite imagery, while storm-penetrating aircraft measure their strength, in terms of wind speeds and atmospheric pressure. That technology gives us detailed warnings that people a century ago never had. Hurricanes usually form in the tropical zones north and south of the equator, where warm waters offer ample fuel for storm formation. That's where you see convection, where warm air rises and forms clusters of thunderstorms. The Coriolis effect, created by the Earth's spinning motion, may cause this cluster of storms to rotate (counter-clockwise above the equator, or clockwise below), but the system has to be a few hundred miles from the equator for the Coriolis force to exert an effect.
A hurricane can be hundreds of miles across. Hurricanes. Play the Hurricane Name Game!
Where and When Do They Form? Hurricanes do an important job for the Earth. They help move heat from warm tropical places to the cooler temperate zone. To do this, they typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. Information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms for young people. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Introduction A Hurricane, like other natural disasters, is one that we all pause to listen to each time we hear of it on the news.
This is because we have all seen the devastation that it can bring to us. Many people have experienced it in one way or the other, and we have come to appreciate that hurricanes are not things that we can do much about in terms of its occurrence. It is natural. However, with modern monitoring systems and technology, we can be warned of impending hurricanes and take some reasonable level of caution to minimize the damage and the effect it can have on us. Hurricanes are also called Typhoons or Cyclones in other parts of the world. What is a hurricane? It is a powerful, spiral weather that result from low pressure systems.
Low Pressure SystemThis is an area (over land or water) where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of the area surrounding it. With this image in mind, let us learn more about hurricanes form. How are Hurricanes Created? The birth of a hurricane requires at least three conditions.
First, the ocean waters must be warm enough at the surface to put enough heat and moisture into the overlying atmosphere to provide the potential fuel for the thermodynamic engine that a hurricane becomes. Second, atmospheric moisture from sea water evaporation must combine with that heat and energy to form the powerful engine needed to propel a hurricane. Third, a wind pattern must be near the ocean surface to spirals air inward. A Silent Hurricane Season. September is an exciting month.
It marks the end of summer, and the beginning of the school year. It is also an active time in nature. September is the midpoint of the Atlantic hurricane season, the period when storm activity is at its strongest. But this year, things in the sky have been unusually quiet. Web Weather for Kids: Surviving Hurricane Carla. Do you know how to stay safe?
Check out the hurricane safety page! As you read the story below, think about how you would answer these questions. How would you feel if you were in this weather event? Would you do anything differently to make sure you stay safe? Surviving Hurricane Carla Story by Carol Park I was 10 years old in September of 1961 when a storm began to form out in the Gulf of Mexico. We lived in a Houston neighborhood with small homes and ditches running alongside the streets.
It was eerie playing outdoors while the clouds grew dark and swirly. I remember watching out of our picture window. After some time, everything became still and silent. Fun Hurricane Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Cyclones & Typhoons. Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids. Who are the "Hurricane Hunters"?
The brave "hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. Hurricane. How Hurricanes Form Interested in extreme weather events?
Then a hurricane—a swirling mass of wind, rain, thunder, and chaos—will intrigue you. Hurricanes begin over tropical and subtropical ocean water. It starts when warm water, moist air, and strong winds collide and create a rotating bundle of thunderstorms and clouds. A hurricane might last a few hours or several days. Some hurricanes roar onto land bringing punishing wind, torrential rain, walls of water, even tornados. Violent winds flip cars, sink boats, and rip houses apart. In addition to the storm surge, hurricanes bring rain. Because meteorologists can predict and track hurricanes, people living in a hurricane's path can stay safe by advance preparation, including an evacuation plan, creating an emergency kit with food, water, and other supplies (don't forget your pets), and most importantly by listening to local authorities on the best ways to stay safe.