Since [[air]] tends to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, wind is produced. In the Northern Hemisphere, the earth's rotation causes the wind to swirl into a low-pressure area in a [[counterclockwise]] direction. This effect of the rotating earth on wind flow is called the [[Coriolis effect]]. The Coriolis effect increases in intensity further from the equator. To produce a hurricane, a low-pressure area must be more than 5 degrees of latitude north of the equator. Hurricanes seldom occur close to the equator. For a hurricane to develop, there must be little wind shear— little difference in [[speed]] and direction between winds at upper and lower elevations. Uniform winds enable the warm inner core of the storm to stay intact. The storm would break up if the winds at higher elevations increased markedly in speed and/or changed direction. The wind shear would disrupt the budding hurricane by tipping it over or by blowing the top of the storm in one direction while the bottom moved in another direction. | Since [[air]] tends to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, wind is produced. In the Northern Hemisphere, the earth's rotation causes the wind to swirl into a low-pressure area in a [[counterclockwise]] direction. This effect of the rotating earth on wind flow is called the [[Coriolis effect]]. The Coriolis effect increases in intensity further from the equator. To produce a hurricane, a low-pressure area must be more than 5 degrees of latitude north of the equator. Hurricanes seldom occur close to the equator. For a hurricane to develop, there must be little wind shear— little difference in [[speed]] and direction between winds at upper and lower elevations. Uniform winds enable the warm inner core of the storm to stay intact. The storm would break up if the winds at higher elevations increased markedly in speed and/or changed direction. The wind shear would disrupt the budding hurricane by tipping it over or by blowing the top of the storm in one direction while the bottom moved in another direction. |