In this case, the right side is the eastern section of the hurricane. Tornadoes are also more common here.Looking at the figure above, pretend you are standing behind the hurricane with your back to the steering flow. The increased winds on the right side increase the storm surge described Larger atmospheric flow (the steering winds). Most dangerous part of the storm because of the additive effect of the hurricane wind speed and speed of the The Right Side of the StormAs a general rule of thumb, the hurricane's right side (relative to the direction it is travelling) is the Seemingly erratic changes are difficult to forecast and will be discussed in more detail in the Forecasting Some hurricanesįollow a fairly straight course, while others loop and wobble along the path. On the morning of 15 October fourteen hours later it reached Toronto, Canada where it caused 80 deaths. Hurricane Hazel (1954) hit North Carolina Others can accelerate to more than 60 mph. However, some hurricanes stall, often causingĭevastatingly heavy rain. Typically, a hurricane's forward speed averages around 15-20 mph. In turn, it can modify the environment around the storm. Other features in that flow, such as high and low pressure systems,Ĭan greatly alter the speed and the path of the hurricane.
The air in which the hurricane is embedded is a constantly Its own internal circulations and the earth's atmosphere. Test Your Understanding: Which Way Is the Wind Blowing?Ī hurricane's speed and path depend on complex interactions between the storm with A boat on the northernĮdge of the orange area in Hurricane Fran (right) would experience winds from the east, while a boat on the southern This means that the wind direction at your location depends on where the hurricane's eye is. In the northern hemisphere, hurricane winds circulate around the center in a counter-clockwise fashion. Ranging as far out as almost 300 miles from the eye of a large hurricane. The area over which tropical storm-force winds occur is even greater, Hurricane-force winds can extend outward to about 25 miles from the storm center of a small hurricaneĪnd to more than 150 miles for a large one. Hurricane Danny (left) in 1997 and Hurricane Fran in 1996 show the variability in hurricane sizeĭo not focus on the location and track of the center, because the hurricane's destructive winds and rains coverĪ wide swath. (1992), the most devastating hurricane of this century, was a relatively small hurricane. Size is not necessarily an indication of hurricane intensity. Typical hurricanes are about 300 miles wide although they can vary considerably, as shown in the twoĮnhanced satellite images below. Level clouds, making it difficult for forecasters to use satellite Sometimes the bands and the eye are obscured by higher Range in width from a few miles to tens of miles and are 50 to 300 Theseĭense bands of thunderstorms, which spiral slowly counterclockwise, While those in Hurricane Gilbert (1988) stretched over 500 miles. HurricaneĪndrew's (1992) rainbands reached only 100 miles out from the eye, Winds) can extend a few hundred miles from the center. Storm's outer rainbands (often with hurricane or tropical storm-force The eye can grow or shrink in size, and double (concentric) eyewalls can form. In the structure of the eye and eyewall can cause changes in the wind speed, which is an indicator of the storm's The dense wall of thunderstorms surrounding the eye has the strongest winds within the storm. The wall of clouds surrounding the clear eye
Then, just as quickly, the winds and rain begin again, but this time from the opposite Hurricane are often amazed at how the incredibly fierce winds and rain can suddenly stop and the sky clear when The EyeThe hurricane's center is a relatively calm, clear area usually 20-40 miles across. The very center of the storm, air sinks, forming the cloud-free eye. The main parts of a hurricane (shown below) are the rainbands on its outer edges, the eye, and the eyewall.Īir spirals in toward the center in a counter-clockwise pattern, and out the top in the opposite direction. This section talks about the different parts of the hurricaneĪnd will help you better understand hurricane hazards. It is a large system that can affect a wide area, requiring that precautions be taken farįrom where the eye is predicted to come ashore. Contrary to how many weather maps appear, a hurricane is more than a point on a weather map, and its path is
0 kommentar(er)
