A tropical storm has a column of warm air near its center. The warmer this column becomes, the more the pressure at the surface falls. The falling pressure, in turn, draws more air into the storm. As more air is pulled into the storm, the winds blow harder.
The path of a hurricane Hurricanes last an average of 3 to 14 days. A long-lived storm may wander 3,000 to 4,000 miles (4,800 to 6,400 kilometers), typically moving over the sea at speeds of 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 kilometers) per hour. Hurricane damage Hurricane damage results from wind and water. Hurricane winds can uproot trees and tear the roofs off houses. The fierce winds also create danger from flying debris. Heavy rains may cause flooding and mudslides. |
Tropical Cyclone Bongani dissipated today, November 26, in the Mozambique Channel as a result of wind shear. Wind shear is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Wind shear can be both vertical and horizontal. Horizontal wind shear is seen across front, while vertical wind shear can be near the Earth’s surface or higher levels in the atmosphere near upper level jet streams. Wind shear can tear storms apart. If you think of a tropical cyclone as a haystack, and you direct giant fans blowing at different heights of the stack, going different ways, that’s similar to how wind shear affects a tropical cyclone. It pushes into its circulation, weakening it. |
