Brewing Up a Storm Hurricanes Expert Folder

Why Do Hurricanes Form and Where Are They Found? Hurricanes form and intensify over oceanic regions. They require sea- surface temperatures of at least 26°C (80°F) and the influence of the earth’s rotation to initiate a spinning circulation (Coriolis effect). The adjacent map shows the places on earth where these conditions are met for hurricane formation. Hurricanes generally form at the tail of the arrow and typically track following the arrow to its arrowhead. In North America, we call a storm that results from these conditions a hurricane. In other parts of the world, a hurricane is known by other names, including "typhoon" in the Western North Pacific and "tropical cyclone" in the Indian Ocean and the Western South Pacific. Why Do Hurricanes Form and Where Are They Found? Hurricanes form and intensify over oceanic regions. They require sea- surface temperatures of at least 26°C (80°F) and the influence of the earth’s rotation to initiate a spinning circulation (Coriolis effect). The adjacent map shows the places on earth where these conditions are met for hurricane formation. Hurricanes generally form at the tail of the arrow and typically track following the arrow to its arrowhead. In North America, we call a storm that results from these conditions a hurricane. In other parts of the world, a hurricane is known by other names, including "typhoon" in the Western North Pacific and "tropical cyclone" in the Indian Ocean and the Western South Pacific.

What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon? Nothing except geography. Tropical storms occur in several of the world's oceans, and except for their names, they are essentially the same type of storm. In the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes. In the Western Pacific Ocean, they are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and Australia, these types of storms are called cyclones.