Hurricane Season June 1-November 30
Hurricanes
can occur at any time, but the official hurricane season in the
Atlantic is June 1 - November
30. On average, there are six to eight hurricanes each year and
they
happen most often in August, September and October.
A hurricane is a type of tropical storm that forms
in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico
or in the eastern
Pacific Ocean. The storms need warm tropical oceans, moisture and
light winds above them to gain strength. When the storm's
winds reach at least 74 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane
and can last one to 30 days, and stretch more than 500 miles in
diameter.
Types
of tropical storms:
Tropical Depression - Thunderstorms with sustained winds of 38 miles per hour or less. Generally, a tropical depression is less dangerous than a hurricane. Still, it can be violent and hurt people. Winds are not the greatest threat, but a tropical depression can cause heavy rains, flooding and tornadoes.Tropical Storm - Strong thunderstorms with winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour. A tropical storm is also less dangerous than a hurricane, but it can also be violent and hurt people. Tropical storms also produce heavy rains, severe storms, flooding and tornadoes - even though winds are not the greatest threat.
Hurricanes - Tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico or in the eastern Pacific Ocean. When the storm's winds reach at least 74 mile per hour, it becomes a hurricane.
Other
names for hurricane:
Hurricanes are called typhoons when they occur in the western
Pacific Ocean, and cyclones when they occur in the Indian and
southern Pacific Oceans.
2007 Hurricane Names
Forecasters use to name tropical storms and hurricanes
after women - like Betsy, Isabel and Kate. In 1978, the National
Hurricane
Center changed the practice to include male and female names. Hurricane
names have an English, French, Spanish and Dutch flavor because
the storms affect other nations and are tracked by people and weather
services in many countries. Hurricanes are named in alphabetical
order as they happen - the first hurricane has a name that
begins with "A" and the second has a name that begins
with "B" and so on. The list contains names that begin
with A through W, but the letters "Q" and "U" are
not used.
- Andrea
- Barry
- Chantal
- Dean
- Erin
- Felix
- Gabrielle
- Humberto
- Ingrid
- Jerry
- Karen
- Lorenzo
- Melissa
- Noel
- Olga
- Pablo
- Rebekah
- Sebastien
- Tanya
- Van
- Wendy