BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Recently, Western New York endured the rainy remnants of Debby, once a hurricane, which produced flooding rains for parts of the Southern Tier.
So the question is, what are the ingredients that go into making a tropical cyclone, and just how does it form?
Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth. They form near the equator over warm ocean waters. The term hurricane is used only for the large storms that form over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean. The generic, scientific term for these storms, wherever they occur, is tropical cyclone.
Tropical cyclones are like engines that require warm, moist air as fuel.
So the first ingredient needed for a tropical cyclone is warm ocean water. That is why tropical cyclones form only in tropical regions where the ocean is at least 80 degrees.
The second ingredient for a tropical cyclone is wind. In the case of hurricanes that form in the Atlantic Ocean, the wind blowing westward across the Atlantic from Africa provides the necessary ingredient. As the wind passes over the ocean's surface, water evaporates (turns into water vapor) and rises. As it rises, the water vapor cools, and condenses back into large water droplets, forming large cumulonimbus clouds, and initiating the first stage of tropical development, a tropical wave.
As the warm air rises upward, the winds blow in a counterclockwise circular fashion. The spiraling winds gather up clusters of thunderstorms. Once the storm reaches winds of 74 mph, it has officially become a hurricane. After it travels many miles over the ocean and reaches land, it loses its energy, and its winds weaken, but the threat of flooding remains over land due to heavy rain.
We saw this play out just this past week, as the very rainy remnants of hurricane Debby caused massive flooding damage across portions of the Southern Tier. The rain was so bad it led to water rescues in Allegany County.
On the heels of both Beryl and Debby, many are already “crying uncle," but we’re not out of the woods by any stretch. We are not even at the height of the tropical cyclone season, which doesn’t peak yet for at least another month. History shows that tropical activity gradually wanes in October, usually winding down by the end of November.
So now you know a little bit more about hurricanes, and how they form.
Got a weather question you'd like answered? Email me at weather@wkbw.com, and your weather question could be answered in the next edition of Josh's Weather Academy!
