Where is hurricanes most likely to form

Another way to say the same thing is that the warm air rises, causing an area of lower air pressure below. A cumulonimbus cloud. A tropical cyclone has so many of these, they form huge, circular bands. Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in to the low pressure area. Then that "new" air becomes warm and moist and rises, too. As the warm air continues to rise, the surrounding air swirls in to take its place.

As the warmed, moist air rises and cools off, the water in the air forms clouds. The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, fed by the ocean's heat and water evaporating from the surface. Storms that form north of the equator spin counterclockwise. Storms south of the equator spin clockwise. Wind shear, which can tear disturbances apart before they strengthen, is strong in May, but gradually fades through June and July, reaching a minimum by mid to late August.

This minimum in the shear combines with favorable thermodynamics — ocean temperatures in the deep tropics that increase with each day of summer sun, warmer air temperatures, and increasing atmospheric moisture. When the dynamics and thermodynamics are in sync, as they often are from mid-August through early October, disturbances like African tropical waves can easily strengthen.

The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins on May 15th and ends in November. The most active period occurs in early September or late August. The Eastern Pacific is the second most active area on earth for tropical cyclones. The hurricanes form on the northeastern Pacific and then move to the open Eastern Pacific. They can also affect southern Baja and western Mexico. At times after developing the storm can move towards the western side and end up affecting Hawaii. In the Western Pacific, the hurricane season begins on July 1st and peaks in early September or early August.

Meteorology Expert. Updated August 09, Cite this Article Format. Means, Tiffany. The 7 Global Hurricane Basins. Hurricanes: Overview, Growth, and Development. The Halloween Storm of the Century in Are Super-Storms Meteorologically Possible? Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for ThoughtCo. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.