Interesting facts about hurricanes and tropical storms as season wanes

The first ingredient is that ocean waters must be above 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this threshold temperature, hurricanes will not form or will weaken rapidly once they move over water below this threshold.

The second ingredient is distance from the equator. Without the spin of the earth and the resulting Coriolis force, hurricanes would not form. Since the Coriolis force is at a maximum at the poles and a minimum at the equator, hurricanes cannot form within 5 degrees latitude of the equator. The Coriolis force generates a counterclockwise spin to low pressure in the Northern Hemisphere.

The third ingredients is that of a low vertical wind shear, especially in the upper level of the atmosphere. Wind shear is a change in wind speed with height. Hurricanes will not form when the upper level winds are too strong.

The fourth ingredient is high relative humidity values from the surface to the mid levels of the atmosphere. Dry air in the mid levels of the atmosphere impedes hurricane development. Dry air causes evaporation of liquid water.

The fifth ingredient is that of a tropical wave. Often hurricanes in the Atlantic begin as a thunderstorm complex that moves off the coast of Africa. If this wave encounters favorable conditions such as stated in the first four ingredients, it will amplify and evolve into a tropical storm or hurricane.

The eye at a hurricane's center is a relatively calm, clear area approximately 20-40 miles across. In general, the smaller the eye the more intense the hurricane. The eyewall surrounding the eye is composed of dense clouds that contain the highest winds in the storm. Frequently, the right side of a hurricane is the most dangerous in terms of storm surge, winds, and tornadoes.

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