Hurricane Question?

Question

Why don't hurricanes happen along the equator?

Answer 1

At the equator there is no Coriolis effect (coriolis effect increases as latitude increases - it is maximum at the poles and 0 at the equator). Coriolis effect is a requirement for the development of hurricanes.

Answer 2

A hurricane is a heat transfer engine,it carries heat to the upper latitudes,going along the equator would be useless.

Answer 3

A minimum distance of 500 km (300 miles) from the equator is normally needed for tropical cyclogenesis. The role of the Coriolis force is to provide for gradient wind balance by correcting the interaction of the pressure gradient force (the pressure difference that causes winds to blow from high to low pressure[8] ) and geostrophic winds (the force that causes winds to blow parallel to straight isobars) for centripetal acceleration (which is introduced by curved isobars).[9]

Answer 4

They do all the time...the Phillipines, Indonesia, etc get trashed almost every year.

Answer 5

The Coriolis force is zero at the equator. Hurricanes don't receive necessary energy to start rotating. There is plenty of heat and moisture, but no force.