ETYM Spanish hurracan; orig. a Carib word signifying, a high wind.
A severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale).
Revolving storm in tropical regions, called typhoon in the N Pacific. It originates at latitudes between 5ş and 20ş N or S of the equator, when the surface temperature of the ocean is above 27şC/80şF. A central calm area, called the eye, is surrounded by inwardly spiraling winds (counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere) of up to 320 kph/200 mph. A hurricane is accompanied by lightning and torrential rain, and can cause extensive damage. In meteorology, a hurricane is a wind of force 12 or more on the Beaufort scale. The most intense hurricane recorded in the Caribbean/Atlantic sector was Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, with sustained winds of 280 kph/175 mph and gusts of over 320 kph/200 mph.
The naming of hurricanes began in the 1940s with female names.
Due to public opinion that using female names was sexist, the practice was changed in 1978 to using both male and female names alternately. + prikaži više