Hurricanes have been in the news lately for the wrong reasons and this seems to be happening more often. The U.S. has certainly had its ‘unfair share’ lately and now disaster has struck Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Climatologists warn of hurricanes getting worse because of global warming. We decided to find out why.
Typhoons, Cyclones and Hurricanes Getting Worse
All three storm types are the same. However we call them hurricanes if they happen in a band roughly between the United States and Africa. They are “like giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel,” NASA explains. Hence, they form over warm oceans near the equator.
As the warm air rises from the surface it leaves lower air pressure below. As this ‘new air’ warms, it rises too. The surrounding air swirls in to take its place while the warm, moist air above gathers into clouds. This system of wind and clouds spins and grows as it feeds off the ocean’s heat and water evaporating from the surface.
More Things You May Not Know About Hurricanes
Hurricanes are born at least eight degrees north or south of the equator. Storms to the south spin clockwise, and vice versa. They cannot cross to the other hemisphere because of Earth’s rotation on its axis. As the storm spins faster, an eye forms in the center. High pressure flows down through it creating transient calm.
Global warming is raising the surface temperature of the ocean. This is why you may be hearing news of hurricanes getting worse. They usually weaken as they reach land because they can no longer feed off the warm ocean waters. However, they may still travel far inland as happened with the one that struck Mozambique.
These storms “dump many inches of rain and cause lots of wind damage before they die out completely,” NASA says. If the wind speed reaches 39 mph your news feed may warn of an approaching tropical storm. If it reaches 74 mph it officially becomes a tropical cyclone or hurricane, and you must seek shelter.
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Preview Image: Cross Section of a Hurricane