How big are hurricanes?
Hurricanes can measure between 320 and 480 km across. They travel at speeds of 16 to 24 km/h, growing larger and stronger as they move. Usually they travel west, and then swing east as they reach cooler regions, before gradually dying out. Repeated hurricanes occur during the storm season, and there may be as many as 15 in a single year. In the USA the National Weather Service tracks hurricanes coming out of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.lt forecasts the time when they will reach land and the strength of the accompanying wind.
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The eye of storm
What would you see inside the centre of a hurricane? If you stood in this area, called the eye of the hurricane, you would be in for a surprise. After the violent winds and torrential rain pass over, the wind suddenly drops. A wall of dark churning clouds, hundreds of metres high, surrounds you. There are light breezes and the Sun shines brightly. But you don’t have long to enjoy this peaceful sunny weather, because as the hurricane continues its destructive path it carries the eye with it. You will soon be enveloped in the storm once again.
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How are hurricanes formed?
Hurricanes are powerful tropical storms that can cause serious damage. They form near the Equator, where warm, moist air rises, drawing in cooler air below. The air moves in a spiral, eventually forming a whirling mass. Rising warm air continues to cool and drop down in the centre of the spiral to repeat the process. The winds inside a hurricane travel at speeds up to 200 km/h. Hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean, passing over the West Indies and the southern United States. Similar storms in the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons, whereas in the Indian Ocean they are called cyclones.
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