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Caribbean weather - Weather systems in the tropics

by Mr. Horace Burton, Chief Meteorologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).

Hurricanes

Required conditions for a hurricane

The transformation from a weak tropical disturbance to an intense hurricane appears to require a special set of conditions which are not necessarily present for every tropical disturbance. The initial tropical system is the source of the pressure and wind fields from which the initial low pressure centre and circulation develops. In addition, the following conditions are required.

  (1) A warm ocean surface with sea surface temperature exceeding 26.5°C to provide the energy and instability necessary for the growth and maintenance of the system.

  (2) A location more than 5° latitude away from the Equator which helps to create the initial rotational circulation of the system.

  (3) The existence of an area of upper level divergence or outflow in the vicinity of the developing cyclone. The divergence extracts mass from the centre to maintain the low pressure and takes away excess heat from the system so that the warm core is maintained.

  (4) Weak shear (change) of the horizontal wind in the vertical. This allows heat released when water vapour condenses and form clouds to be concentrated in a smaller area and thus lead to a greater reduction in the pressure at the surface.

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