What weather conditions are necessary for the formation of a hurricane ?
1 Answer
6 things
Explanation:
I will give you all the requirements, not just the weather ones.
1)Warm water. A sea temperature of 26.5 degrees C is required. I was never sure why it was exactly 26.5 degrees, or if you would get a hurricane with sea temperatures of say 25.8 degrees, but in any event that is the number we (meteorologist) refer to. This is required to get water vapor into the lower atmosphere to begin cloud formation.
2)Coriolis force. You do not get hurricanes at 5 degrees latitude or less as the Coriolis force is not strong enough to form a low pressure center of any significance. You rarely get hurricanes between 5 and 10 degrees latitude.
3)Low vertical wind sheer. This basically means the winds are relatively uniform with altitude. This allows vertically developing cloud to grow without being "blown" over. Otherwise this happens:
http://climate.ncsu.edu/climate/hurricanes/development.php
4)Instability. The atmosphere has to be unstable, encouraging vertical cloud development (convection).
5)Mid level humidity. You need moisture at the surface to start convection and cloud development and you need moisture at mid levels to continue the development to very high altitudes.
6)A focus disturbance. You need a point for the hurricane to start. It can be a low pressure center, or a front or an atmosphere wave or really any sort of disturbance in the atmosphere.
The page that the above image is on actually has more pictures. I think my explanations are a bit easier to understand but go there and see what is says and judge for yourself.
