Hurricanes
Britain and much of Europe often experience bad weather, particularly in winter. Bad weather usually comes in from the Atlantic Ocean with weather systems called depressions - regions of low pressure, strong winds and rain. In the tropics bad weather is much less common, but when it strikes, it can be devastating. Large tropical storms, which usually develop towards the end of summer, are called hurricanes.
The most common place for hurricanes to form is in the Caribbean. Here, seawater temperature is high, like the air temperature, because the sunlight is strong, and a lot of heat is stored there. Under the right conditions, a storm will develop, which with sufficient energy will become a hurricane.
Viewed from a satellite, a hurricane appears almost circular, with clouds spiralling out from a small centre called the "eye". On the ground, the weather in the "eye" may be fairly calm, with clear skies, but as the hurricane moves over, the weather can become very nasty, with winds of over 100 mph, which are strong enough to tear roofs off houses.
| Hurricane from space |
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