Facts to Know About Hurricanes: Massive thunderstorm outbreaks occur off the coast of Africa every summer and autumn, but when the storm’s circumstances are exactly right, what first appeared to be a few thunderstorms can develop into some of Mother Nature’s most destructive forces—hurricanes.
Only about 14 of these low-pressure systems every year continue on to develop sustained winds over 39 mph and achieve notoriety.
The National Hurricane Centre will classify the system as a hurricane whenever winds reach 74 mph.
These 7 interesting facts to know about hurricanes will blow off your mind with their intensity and destructions.
Here are some interesting facts to know about hurricanes
When does a hurricane develop from a tropical storm?
The National Hurricane Centre has rated hurricanes using a scale created by engineers Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson since the 1970s.
There are five categories on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, ranging in intensity from 1 to 5.
The sustained wind speed that determines each hurricane category rises up the scale as a storm gets stronger.
A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds hit 74 mph or more, according to meteorologists.
A hurricane is classified as Category 1 when its sustained winds range from 74 to 95 mph.
Tropical Storm Watch vs. Warning issued ahead of storm
Prior to the storm, a tropical storm watch or warning was issued.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s meteorologists are in charge of issuing Hurricane Watches and Hurricane Warnings ahead of probable hurricane impacts before a tropical cyclone bears down on an area.
When a region is under a hurricane watch, winds of 74 mph or more may be present. Typically, a watch is issued 48 hours before tropical storm-force winds appear.
Emergency management experts caution that it becomes risky to continue storm preparations once winds hit about 40 mph.
When a region is under a hurricane warning, winds of 74 mph or more are predicted to be present.
When do storm alerts go out? Typically, they are raised 36 hours before the arrival of dangerous weather.
Where did the term “hurricane” originate?
According to historians, the name “hurricane” comes from the native Caribbean language.
The Ta’no people are supposed to have lived in modern-day Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and the Virgin Islands, and they are known for using the word “hurucane.”
According to experts, “hurucane” stood for the Tano people’s bad wind spirit.
Although it is believed that diseases brought by Spanish explorers threatened to wipe out the indigenous population, their languages, beliefs, and civilizations persisted.
Only tropical systems have names assigned to them.
The only weather patterns that have names when they cross oceans are tropical cyclones.
According to the National Hurricane Centre, giving hurricanes names facilitates the exchange of information about these deadly storms.
The naming of tropical cyclones is thought to have started in the 1800s on Caribbean islands, but the U.S. Weather Bureau didn’t start the practise until 1950.
It wasn’t until 1979, when names for both male and female hurricanes were added to lists that are updated every six years, that the current naming convention was created.
Tropical cyclones are thought to have a secret risk that is inland flooding.
According to NOAA, inland flooding causes more than half of all hurricane-related fatalities each year.
25% of U.S. deaths between 1963 and 2012, according to the government, occurred in inland areas.
In order to address difficulties connected to inland complacency during storms, according to NOAA, it has enhanced education and collaboration.
However, the agency warns that it is difficult to anticipate rainfall because even a small change in a hurricane’s course can have a significant impact on which areas flood and which avoid its possibly fatal effects.
It is not uncommon for a hurricane to dump feet of rain in a tropical storm’s path.
Southeast Texas received more than 60 inches of rain in 2017 as a result of flooding from Hurricane Harvey.
Before the Hurricane Hunters, the first military flight into a hurricane occurred.
According to the National Weather Service, the first instance of a plane purposely flying into a storm occurred in 1943 near the Texas coast.
In the Lone Star State, where pilots from the UK and the US were reportedly practising for World War II, a crew deliberately flew into the storm as it approached.
It wasn’t until 1946 that the squadron that is now known as the “Hurricane Hunters” began to scan cyclones.
These large tropical storms are currently being monitored and studied by dozens of aircraft from the Air Force and NOAA.
Different Hurricane Names Used Globally: Detailed Information on Hurricanes
The period of hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30.
Hurricane season begins when? The start of meteorological summer through November is considered the official start of the Atlantic basin hurricane season.
97% of all tropical cyclones, according to NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, develop during this time.
These months, according to meteorologists, are when interruptions in the patterns of the upper-level winds occur, allowing tropical cyclones to form.
In order to grow, hurricanes want warm, deep water that is at least 78 degrees.
The latter half of August through September, when these environmental conditions can spread widely, is considered the height of hurricane season.
