What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a huge storm that turns in a circle, like a spinning top. They are sometimes called typhoons or cyclones, depending on where they occur. However, they all form over warm water near the equator (an imaginary line around the middle of the planet) and can be hundreds of miles wide. Hurricanes get their energy from warm water. As warm air rises, cooler air takes its place. This air then also warms up and begins to rise. Huge, swirling clouds form and begin to grow and spin, fed by the ocean’s heat.