How Hurricanes Work.

Hurricanes start when clusters of thunder storms drift over warm ocean waters. The very warm air from the storm and ocean combine and rise. This creates low pressure at the surface. Trade winds start blowing in opposite directions to eachover causing the storm to start spinning. Rising warm air causes pressure to decrease at higher altitudes. Air rises fast to fill in the low pressure, this draws more warm air off the sea.

As the storm moves over the ocean it picks up more warm air. Wind speeds increase as more warm air is sucked into the low pressure centre. It can take anything up to a few days for the winds to be fast enough to be classified as a hurricane.

Hurricanes are made up of an eye of calm winds surrounded by a vortex of very strong winds and storms. When a hurricane hits land it causes alot of damage.

Category 1 - 74-95mph
Category 2 - 96-110mph
Category 3 - 111-130mph
Category 4 - 131-154mph
Category 5 - 155 upwards