These powerful storms have different names depending on where in the world they form . They ’ re called hurricanes if they occur in the Atlantic Ocean , Caribbean Sea , Gulf of Mexico , and eastern Pacific Ocean . In the western Pacific Ocean , they ’ re known as typhoons ; in the southern Pacific and Indian oceans , they ’ re called cyclones .

As many as 150 occur around the world each year .

How do hurricanes form ?

Hurricanes begin when a tropical depression forms in the ocean . A tropical depression is a line of rain showers and weak thunderstorms that circle around an area of low air pressure . If the water is at least 79 degrees , a hurricane might form .

Scientists believe hurricanes are getting more powerful and more frequent as the temperature of the ocean rises due to climate change .

The low air pressure causes the hot , humid air from the ocean to rise in a spiral shape . The lowpressure area continues to suck up hot , moist air and the spiral gets stronger and faster .

When winds reach 74 mph , it ’ s officially a hurricane .

As a hurricane moves over cooler water or hits land , it loses the warm water that fuels it and begins to weaken . But dangerous winds can still cause damage and storm surges – that ’ s when a strong storm pushes ocean water ashore . Heavy rains and floods can continue far inland , as it did recently with Hurricane Helene , which caused flooding and damage in six states .

Hurricanes are classified by how strong the winds are and the amount of damage that scientists predict the storm will cause when it reaches land .

For example , a Category 1 storm has wind speeds of 74 to 95 mph and will probably damage some homes and cause a few power outages . But a Category 5 hurricane have winds of 156 mph or more and will likely cause so much damage that people must abandon their communities , and will take months to clean up .

Sources : www . kids . nationalgeographic . com and www . youngscientistlab . com

Overview Simulate a tornado with this handmade contraption and learn some weather science along the way . Watch how a vortex forms and moves in the water , and connect the dots to how tornadoes form and function in the real world .

Background Information

This “ tornado in a bottle ” is actually a water vortex . A vortex is defined as “ a spiral motion of fluid within a limited area , especially a whirling mass of water or air that sucks everything near it toward its center .” As the mass of water swirls in a circular motion , gravity pulls it down and forms a powerful vacuum . This is the same effect you see with a tornado funnel or hurricane .

Materials

• Two 2-liter plastic soda bottles

• Duct Tape

• Scissors

• Water

• Dishwashing liquid

• Food coloring

• Glitter or confetti

Instructions 1 . Wash the empty soda bottles . Fill one of the bottles with water 3 / 4 of the way to the top .

2 . Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the water . Add a drop of food coloring and the confetti to make your tornado more visible and dramatic .

3 . Criss-cross two 4-inch pieces of duct tape and make a small hole ( about ¼ inch ) in the center . You could use a sharp knife ,

Gravity : An invisible force that pulls objects toward each other .

scissors , hole punch , knitting needle , chopstick or ball-point pen . Place a criss-cross of duct tape over the mouth of the empty bottle . Add extra tape if necessary to seal completely .

4 . Now place the empty bottle on top of the full bottle , mouth to mouth . Wrap duct tape around the two mouths , using plenty of tape to make sure the seal is secure and leak- proof .

5 . Now carefully flip the bottles over . Gently swirl the bottles and slowly pick up speed . As the water from the top bottle starts to swirl down into the empty bottle it will create a funnel effect , forming a whirlpool . It looks just like a mini tornado !

6 . Think about other times you have seen a vortex created with liquid ( e . g ., draining a bathtub or kitchen sink , stirring sugar into a glass of tea ).

Vortex A fast flow of liquid spinning ; the motion of swirling quickly around the center is called the vortex .

www . OfficialKidsMag . com • November 2024 • 31