Why dohurricanes happen?

Question

Why do hurricanes happen?What is the reason?

Answer 1

Heat and moisture combine to create turbulent air that drafts upward.  This creates a low pressure area that causes the surrounding air to rush in.  Because of the earths rotation this air does not rush straight in, it 'spins' in.  When the low pressure system is over very warm water the heat and moisture create even more up drafting and lower pressure, causing a greater and greater amount of the surrounding air to rush in.  Wind speed increases.  As long as there is warm water, this engine will feed on it.  the central Pressure will drop,  the movement of air (winds) to fill the pressure void will get stronger.   You have a hurricane.  Any number of things can interrupt this cycle, so you don't always get a hurricane from a strong low pressure system.

Answer 2

Picture of Hurricane Elana taken September 3, 1985, over the Gulf of Mexico.

Click on image for full size (40K JPEG)

Image courtesy of NASA

Hurricanes form in the tropics near the equator. They can't form right on the equator because there is no Coriolis Force right on the equator. The Coriolis Force causes the hurricane to spin.

Hurricanes need a lot of energy and they get the energy from the ocean. The warm water and warm air near the surface help to cause hurricanes to form. Once they form, hurricanes take energy from the water to get stronger. While a hurricane is over warm water it will continue to grow. If it travels over land it will start to weaken and eventually end. This is why mainly coastal areas are affected by hurricanes.

Graphic representation of a hurricane (58K JPEG)

Answer 3

The short answer: heat energy builds up over time and sometimes a huge amount of it is released in a very short period of time. Hurricanes are fueled by warm water and they carry this warm water into cooler areas.