Why do hurricanes form in tropical latitudes?

1 Answer
Feb 14, 2017

The water is warmer and there is a Coriolis effect although it is not very strong.

Explanation:

To make a hurricane you need lots of warm water. A hurricane is basically a ton of thunderstorms merged together, and to make that many cumulonimbus clouds requires a vast amount of water vapor. To get that much water vapor you need really warm water (26.5 Celsius minimum).

The reason that hurricanes form around the tropics and not at the equator is that there needs to be Coriolis effect. Coriolis effect is what cause the winds to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and the left in the Southern Hemisphere. It keeps surface pressures from just equalizing (meaning that the air moves from high to low pressure until it is in balance). Coriolis has no effect at the Equator, and in order for a hurricane to form you need a low pressure to form and not immediately fill.