Imagine hearing a loud alert on TV or the radio saying a hurricane is coming. Would you be worried? Do you know what to do? Today, we’re going to learn all about hurricanes, which are huge swirling storms with strong winds and heavy rain.
A hurricane is a big storm with winds that blow at least 74 miles per hour. In different parts of the world, these storms have different names. In the Northwest Pacific, they’re called typhoons, and in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, they’re known as cyclones. Each storm gets its own name to help people keep track of them.
Hurricanes usually form between June and November. They start when warm sea water heats the air above it. This warm air rises and forms rain clouds. As the warm air rises, cooler air moves in to take its place, gets warmed up, and rises too. This cycle keeps going as long as there is warm water.
As the storm grows, the Earth’s rotation makes it spin. When the winds reach 39 miles per hour, the storm is called a tropical depression and gets a name. If the winds get stronger and reach 74 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane!
Hurricanes can be very tall and wide. They spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. In the middle of the hurricane is the “eye,” which is calm and peaceful. But don’t be fooled! Around the eye is the “eyewall,” where the strongest and most dangerous winds are found.
Scientists, called hurricane hunters, fly into hurricanes to collect information. This helps us understand these storms better. Hurricanes are given names from a list that repeats every six years. If a hurricane is very destructive, its name is retired and not used again.
Hurricanes are ranked by their wind speed using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale:
If a hurricane is coming, it’s important to be ready. Sometimes, people need to leave their homes and go to a safe place. Local governments provide shelters where people can stay until the storm passes. It’s important to listen to emergency instructions and stay safe.
Some hurricanes have caused a lot of damage and loss of life. For example, Hurricane Maria in 2017 was a Category 5 storm that hit Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. It caused a lot of destruction, and recovery took a long time.
Even when hurricanes weaken, they can still cause damage, including tornadoes. So, always be prepared and stay safe if you hear a hurricane warning.
We hope you enjoyed learning about hurricanes! For more fun and educational resources, visit learnbrite.org.
Make Your Own Hurricane Model: Gather some simple materials like a large bowl, water, food coloring, and a spoon. Fill the bowl with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Use the spoon to stir the water in a circular motion to create a mini hurricane. Watch how the water spins and forms a whirlpool. Discuss with your friends or family how this is similar to how hurricanes form over warm ocean waters.
Hurricane Name Game: Hurricanes are given names to help track them. Create a list of names for imaginary hurricanes using the first letter of your name. For example, if your name is Alex, you might have Hurricane Alex, Hurricane Amy, and Hurricane Andy. Discuss why it’s important for hurricanes to have names and how it helps people stay informed and prepared.
Weather Watcher: Become a weather watcher for a week. Use a simple weather app or watch the weather forecast on TV. Record the weather conditions each day, especially if there are any storms. Discuss how weather patterns change and what signs might indicate a storm is coming. Think about how scientists predict hurricanes and why it’s important to track them.
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Hurricane alert! The National Weather Service has announced a hurricane.
Hey kids, if you heard this emergency report on TV or the radio, would you be concerned? Would you be alarmed? What would you do? Would you know what to do?
Today, we’re talking about the severe weather phenomenon known as a hurricane. This is a giant swirling storm accompanied by severe thunderstorms with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour. In the Northwest Pacific, this kind of storm is known as a typhoon, while in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, it is called a cyclone. These severe storms go by different names around the world, and each one gets its own name.
Have you ever been in a hurricane? Have you ever experienced a heavy rainstorm with thunder and lightning? Were you scared? It’s okay to be scared during a storm; severe weather can be frightening because it’s so unpredictable.
Let’s learn about how hurricanes are formed. A hurricane in the northern hemisphere generally develops between June and November as tropical sea water is heated by the sun. This warming air rises into the atmosphere, forming rain clouds. Meanwhile, cooler air moves in to replace the warm air, which is then warmed and rises again. This cycle continues as long as there is a supply of warm seawater.
As the clouds cool, rain falls and winds develop. The Earth’s rotation causes the storm to spin. If the resulting circulating winds reach 39 miles per hour, the storm becomes a tropical depression and gets a name. Tropical storms are tracked closely by radar until they dissipate. However, if they gain more energy from warm waters, they can grow, and when the sustained wind speed reaches 74 miles per hour, a hurricane is born.
These massive storms can reach 50,000 feet high and spread out 125 miles in diameter. A hurricane with a name may wander aimlessly out at sea. In the northern hemisphere, they rotate counterclockwise, while in the southern hemisphere, they rotate clockwise.
Look at the center of the hurricane in this satellite imagery. Can you see the eye of the hurricane? The eye is calm and peaceful, with clear skies. You might think the storm is over, but it’s not; it’s about to get worse. The eyewall is where the winds are the fastest and most destructive.
We know a lot about hurricanes, but there’s still much to learn. It takes the courageous men and women of NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to help us learn more. They fly aboard powerful Lockheed P-3 Orion airplanes, also known as Kermit and Miss Piggy. These brave scientists, called hurricane hunters, fly into the hurricane, collecting data to help us understand these storms better.
Hopefully, a hurricane will die at sea, but it may wander toward land. Watches and warnings go out to entire regions and states, asking people to prepare for the coming storm. They may have to leave their homes. A list of names has been established for hurricanes, and they are used on a six-year rotation. Naming these storms helps avoid confusion, allowing them to be tracked more easily. Boys’ names and girls’ names are used alternately in alphabetical order, and if a hurricane has been especially destructive, that name is retired.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to grade the intensity of a hurricane. Let’s look at the categories:
– Category 1: Winds are clocked between 74 and 95 miles per hour, which may result in some damage.
– Category 2: Winds are at 96 to 110 miles per hour, with extensive damage expected.
– Category 3: Extremely dangerous, with winds from 111 to 129 miles per hour, causing devastating damage.
– Category 4: Winds reach 156 miles per hour, leading to extreme damage.
– Category 5: Catastrophic damage occurs with winds exceeding 157 miles per hour.
On September 20, 2017, a Category 5 hurricane struck Puerto Rico, causing devastating damage and loss of life. All 3.4 million residents faced a deep crisis. This hurricane was named Maria and affected many islands in the Caribbean. It will take years for them to recover.
Destruction is not only caused by high winds but also by the tremendous amount of water that comes with hurricanes, leading to massive flooding. The most important thing to do when a hurricane is approaching is to evacuate. Local governments often have emergency areas to evacuate to and provide shelter until the storm passes.
In 1900, the unnamed hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas, was the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, killing between 6,000 and 12,000 people. Other hurricanes in recent years that have caused widespread destruction include Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which impacted South Florida, and Hurricanes Wilma, Rita, and Katrina in 2005. In October 2018, Hurricane Michael, the first Category 5 hurricane since Andrew, struck the Florida Panhandle, affecting Central America, parts of Mexico, and Cuba, resulting in billions of dollars in losses.
Although a hurricane begins to lose energy as it makes landfall, even a weakening storm can still cause significant damage. Severe tornadoes can also be a byproduct of weakening hurricanes.
What would you do if you heard the hurricane warning? Would you be prepared? Would you be willing to help those affected by these powerful storms? If you find yourself in the path of a hurricane, don’t panic. Follow the instructions of your local emergency response team and stay safe. Be prepared.
Hope you had fun learning with us! Visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.
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