How do Hurricanes Form?Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth. People call these storms by other names,
such as typhoons or cyclones, depending on where they occur. The scientific
term for all these storms is tropical cyclone. Only tropical cyclones that form
over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean are called “hurricanes.”

Tropical cyclones are like giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel. That is why
they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air
over the ocean rises upward from near the surface. Because this air moves up
and away from the surface, there is less air left near the surface. Another way
to say the same thing is that the warm air rises, causing an area of lower air
pressure below.

The air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in to the low
pressure area. Then, that “new” air becomes warm and moist, and rises, too. As
the warm air continues to rise, the surrounding air swirls in to take its
place. As the warmed, moist air rises and cools off, the water in the air forms
clouds. The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, fed by the ocean’s
heat and water evaporating from the surface.

Storms that form north of the equator spin counterclockwise. Storms south of the
equator spin clockwise. This difference is because of Earth’s rotation on its
axis.

As the storm system rotates faster and faster, an eye forms in the center. It is very
calm and clear in the eye, with very low air pressure. Higher pressure air from
above flows down into the eye. When the winds in the rotating storm reach 39
mph, the storm is called a “tropical storm.” And when the wind speeds reach 74
mph, the storm is officially a “tropical cyclone” or hurricane.

Tropical cyclones usually weaken when they hit land, because they are no longer being
“fed” by the energy from the warm ocean waters. However, they often move far
inland, dumping many inches of rain and causing lots of wind damage before they
die out completely.



Answer these questions based on the text!

1. What is the text about?

 2. What is the purpose of the text?

 3. What does paragraph one tell us about?

 4. Which paragraphs explain the formation of the natural phenomenon?

 5. What tense is used in the text?

 6. When do we call hurricane typhoons or cyclones?

7. What is the technical term of typhoons or
cyclones?

8. What is the fuel of Tropical Cyclones?

9. What is the wind speed of Hurricane?

10. When do the hurricanes weaken?