Rocket man, hits 333 km per hour on cycle

Hurricane, the word is derived from Spanish word, "Huracan" which is a further derivation of word "Juracan" a god of storm. For a layman every swirling thunderstorm which strikes the land is a hurricane or typhoon as people, in most cases come to know such terms in the news. However, in order to learn the difference, we have to learn few basic concepts of the tropical cyclones. Hurricanes, typhoons, tropical depressions, cyclones and tropic storms are all the derivative names for Tropic Cyclones, depending on their strength, size and location. These storms or cyclones are characterized by strong winds, low-pressure centers and heavy rains.

A hurricane can be differentiated from tropical depression or thunderstorm on the basis of its strength, location and concentration. Depressions or storms usually generate winds less than 34 knots, and they have no eye. Whereas, hurricanes and typhoons are moving storm systems with the minimum wind speed of 66 knots or 119 km per hour, which is potentially devastating. A cyclone of such intensity develops an eye, an area in the centre of system having lowest atmospheric pressure. This eye is surrounded by the Eyewall, which can cover an area of 16 to 80 kms and play havoc. Maximum speed of hurricanes has been estimated to around 314 km per hour.

Hurricanes develop usually due to the formation of favorable atmospheric conditions around disturbance in the atmosphere. Natural phenomenon like El-Niño, Madden-Julian oscillation and Atlantic Multi-decadal oscillation modulate the background environment. Tropical systems, once born are moved by fast winds in troposphere under favorable conditions. As the systems move it tends to develop an eye. However, if the atmospheric conditions do not allow, the system gets weak and dissipates. Presently, technology has not been advanced enough to artificially induce dissipation of such storms or a hurricane.

Atmospheric pressure recorded at the center of hurricanes or the eye is lowest occurring on sea level surface of the world. Condensed latent heat, when released in large amounts, drives the hurricanes and it happens when moist air lifts up condensing its water vapors. The said heat distributes around the storm's center in a vertical order. Due to this, temperatures inside the hurricanes are usually warmer than the surrounding area.

The eye of a hurricane should not be taken in literal meanings. It is usually 30 to 120 km in diameters, though smaller hurricanes carry as small as an eye in diameter of 3 km and as large as 360 km. The environment inside the eye is usually calm and mild compared to its surrounding fast moving winds.


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