Hurricane Alley Millions of people live, work, and vacation in Hurricane Alley

The Atlantic Basin The Atlantic Basin is dominated by the Subtropical Ridge to the north and the Intertropical Convergence Zone to the south.

The Atlantic Basin The ITCZ forms into distinct areas of disturbed weather known as Tropical Waves.

The Atlantic Basin These Waves will sometimes intensify into Tropical Depressions, Tropical Storms, and even Hurricanes.

Tropical Waves Tropical Waves consist of thunderstorms loosely organized along an axis of low pressure

Tropical Depressions Tropical Depressions have storms clustered around a central low pressure at the surface.

Tropical Storms Tropical Storms are more organized with the thunderstorms spiralling inward toward the center in distinct rainbands.

Hurricanes Hurricanes have thunderstorms organized into a ring around the clear, calm eye known as the eyewall. The spiraling rainbands sometimes form into an outer eyewall.

Hurricane Heat Engine Hurricanes are warm core, barotropic systems. They are heat engines which convert…

Hurricane Heat Engine …thermal energy, in the form of warm, moist air and convert it into….

Hurricane Heat Engine …mechanical energy, in the form of driving winds and heavy ocean swell.

Hurricane Heat Engine The exhaust products of the engine are the cool, dry air that produces the cirrus shield of the Central Dense Overcast, and the torrential rains that remove the liquid water from the airflow.

Saffir-Simpson Scale

On an average year we expect

Hurricane Season Tropical Storms can form anytime of the year. However, 98% of activity occurs within the hurricane season (June 1 - November 30).