A Hurricane is a very strong wind originating over tropical seas, which spins in a swirl, carrying humidity in enormous quantities and, when touching populated areas, generally causes destructive damage.
The term Hurricane comes from the name that the Mayan Indians gave to the god of storms and diabolical spirits. It is also called the tropical cycle, even in other regions it has another name: typhoon (western Pacific), baguio (Philippines), willy-willies (Australia), cyclone (far east), tanio (Haiti) or cordonazo (North America or Central).
Hurricanes have very fast wind systems that occur in tropical areas, when the sea surface temperature is equal to or greater than 27 ºC, and they intensify in circular movements around a low pressure center known as the eye of the hurricane., usually 30 to 50 km in diameter. The cloud bands with the circulating air rotate counterclockwise in the Northern hemisphere, and vice versa in the South.
There are various regions where the presence of hurricanes is born, such as the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Western Atlantic Ocean, northern Australia, the Gulf of Bengal, southern Indonesia, the Western Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Arabian Sea, among others.. The only tropical oceanic areas exempt from these phenomena are the South Atlantic and the South Pacific.
Hurricanes have winds with speeds greater than 118 km / h, most of the time they are accompanied by torrential rains and tides, being the most powerful and strongest atmospheric phenomena on Earth and can last up to two weeks under suitable atmospheric conditions.
They are usually classified into 5 categories according to the Saffir-Simpson scale, based on the speed of the winds and it is used in many countries; Category 1 from 118 to 153 km / h, Category 2 from 154 to 177 km / h, Category 3 from 178 to 209 km / h, Category 4 from 210 to 249 km / h, and Category 5, greater than 250 km / h.
A hurricane does not only mean an impact from the air, it can present secondary effects such as waves, landslides, floods and tornadoes, thus dragging water, dust, mud and heavy objects that cause human and material damage. Today, there are radars, marine recording devices and meteorological satellites that provide enough data to follow the movements of each hurricane almost from its formation.
Although the best warning systems have prevented or reduced loss of life, weather elements, population growth, and human settlement in coastal areas continue to increase the risk of mortality. Furthermore, material damage is still great in these areas.
