MOLINE, Ill. — After a slow start to the 2022 hurricane season we are starting to see some activity. So how exactly does a hurricane form?
Hurricanes have two main ingredients that are needed in order to form. The first is warm ocean water, which provides heat, and the second is wind.
There are four stages of development of a hurricane:
1. Tropical Disturbance
A Tropical disturbance is a cluster of thunderstorms that form over the ocean. They can form when water vapor from the ocean condenses to form clouds which releases heat into the air.
The heat that has been released makes the air warm and warm air rises resulting in the creation of many clouds. Evaporation, which is collected water from the ocean, and condensation, the water held in the clouds, allow clouds to get bigger and taller.
Finally, a pattern begins to develop with wind circulating around the center and it starts to spiral. This process continues to repeat its self, creating a cluster of thunderstorms.
2. Tropical Depression
As the cluster of thunderstorms grow taller and larger, the air at the top of cloud column is cooling and becoming unstable. Heat is released a result. As the cool, unstable air is released, warm air rises to the top of the cloud and creates a high-pressure system.
This pressure causes wind to move outward and away from the high-pressure area. As the heat moves up to the top of clouds it causes the pressure to decrease at the base of the clouds, which creates low pressure.
Now that there is a low pressure at the base of the clouds, the air at surface (water) rises towards the low pressure creating more thunderstorms. Winds in the storm can now spin faster and faster, whipping around in a circular motion.
Once the wind speeds reach anywhere between 25–38 mph it is now called a tropical depression.
3.Tropical Storm
When wind speeds reach 39 mph, it now becomes a tropical storm. The winds are now blowing fast enough to where we can begin to see twisting and turning around the eye of the storm. At this stage in the process, meteorologist will name the storm.
4. Hurricane
When wind speed reach 74 mph it now becomes classified as a hurricane. The storms are at least 50,000 feet high and around 125 miles in diameter. The eye is about five to 30 miles in diameter