Can two hurricanes merge to make one big super hurricane?

Question

This is only hypothetical, but with HANNA not to far away could the two hurricanes merge? Or maybe HANNA will slam the coast just days after GUSTAV. Now wouldn't that just suck?

Answer 1

Gustav and Hanna may follow similar paths, but they will not collide intact. If two hurricanes were to get too close to each other, what would happen is that one would eventually weaken and/or destroy the other. Hurricanes need to have a strong outflow out the tops of their circulations, in order to "exhaust" the air that is converging and rising from below. If two of them got too close to each other, the outflows would become restricted and one system's outflow will basically overpower the other, resulting in the weaker system being further weakened, or even destroyed. This has happened on occasion, usually when one system slowed down and the other closed the distance. Indeed Hanna's strengthening may be limited by the stronger outflow from Gustav.

Answer 2

From the reference: No, it's actually impossible for two or more hurricanes to merge together. But if two hurricanes or tropical storms do come close together, they can interact with one another. Their close proximity may weaken one or both of the storms.  Or they may begin circling around each other.  This is called the Fujiwhara effect, named after a Japanese meteorologist who first explained the phenomenon.  

Answer 3

It is possible, but sometimes they can neutralize each other based on how they collide

Answer 4

They can't really merge, but that would suck if they hit the same place.

Answer 5

duhh!!!!!!!

Answer 6

can two storm merge i would say yes

Answer 7

No. Say Hanna came up behind Gustav. Hanna's front winds would be blowing south as Gustav's backside would be blowing north. They would destroy each other.

A double slam would indeed suck!

Answer 8

interesting question but if 2 winds are moving in the same direction at 120mph and merge they would still be at 120 mph.

If they intersected wouldn't they cancel each other out?

I for one don't see how this could occur in nature because of the competing systems to create them in the first place

Answer 9

Not possible, but the thought of it is horrifying.

Answer 10

Very rarely one hurricane does come near to another.  In 1995 Hurricane Iris merged with Tropical Storm Karen, so that they became one larger, although not more powerful, storm.

Normally it is more likely that one storm will disintegrate in favor of the other.

Answer 11

OMG i thought about the same thing.  julio is right behind them as well.  i am making my preparations right now.  this is my first hurricane.  i am a little freaked out right now.

Answer 12

i doubt that they would merge because do the way that they are spinning, if they hit the energy would be going in opposite directions and would weaken the storms

Answer 13

the discovery channel says it can and it would be a horrible catastrophe