ESS200A
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Hurricane Characteristics
•Hurricanes,
the most powerful of all storms, have sustained winds of 120
km/hr (74 mph).
•Although
of lesser intensity than tornadoes, the much larger size and longer
life span makes hurricanes much more devastating.
•Average
diameters are approximately 600 km (350 mi) and central pressure
averages about 950 mb but may be as low as 870 mb.
•Most
energy attained by hurricanes stems from latent heat release in the
cloud formation process.
•Hurricanes
occur where warm waters abound and during the times of highest
SSTs.
•For
the N.H., August and September are the most active months.