Q: What is a hurricane?

Hurricanes are huge tropical storms that rotate - or spin around. The wind in a hurricane blows at over 74 miles per hour. Hurricanes can be as big as 500 miles wide. 

The scientific name for a hurricane is a tropical cyclone. In parts of the Pacific Ocean they are called typhoonsThe word originates from the Chinese tai, meaning strong, and fung, meaning wind. . 

Q: Where do they come from?

Hurricanes form when warm water makes the air hot and damp and lots of clouds form. Wind makes the clouds rise high up in the air. 

Q: What makes hurricanes so dangerous?

Hurricanes are very powerful. They can cause floods. The wind can destroy buildings. Lots of people lose their homes. 

In 2005, one hurricane in the USA destroyed 800,000 homes. It was called Hurricane Katrina. It cost over £90bn to repair everything. 

Q: Why do storms have names?

Storms all have names. In lots of places, they have people's names. This helps people talk about storms. If there are two storms on the way, people know which is which. The weather forecasts make more sense! 

Q: Does climate change affect hurricanes?

Yes! Scientists think climate change will put more places in danger. Lots of big cities could have hurricanes - like New York and Tokyo. 

Climate change might also make hurricanes worse. Experts say that rising sea levels make the storms last longer.

Q: What if one affects me? 

It is not possible to stop hurricanes. But we can prepare. We are getting better at predicting hurricanes. People who live in storm areas have lots of rules to follow. They put boards over their windows. They tie down objects that might fly away. There are special shelters for them to hide in to stay safe. These rules help save lots of lives!