What is a Hurricane and Who Tracks Them

5/14/2021 (Permalink)

Hurricane Season is officially June,1st through November 30th. Each year The National Hurricane Center, a division of The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculates and predicts hurricanes that are expected for the year.

A tropical cyclone is a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms. When the storm’s wind reached 74 miles per hour it is classified as a hurricane.

There is a scale of 1 – 5 that is assigned to hurricanes and the higher the number the more likeliness that the damage will be worse.

• Category 1: Winds of 74-95 mph (119-153 km/h)
• Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph (154-177 km/h)
• Category 3: Winds of 111-129 mph (178-208 km/h)
• Category 4: Winds of 130-156 mph (209-251 km/h)
• Category 5: Winds exceeding 157 mph (252 km/h)

The Atlantic Basin is the origin of hurricanes, this includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. Less often they develop in the Central Pacific Ocean.

Hurricanes are given names and there is a list that rotates in a six-year cycle. The World Meteorological Organization is responsible for maintaining and updating the list.

There is an average of 12 storms yearly.