Inside a Hurricane

Wall Clouds: The hurricane's fiercest winds are here.

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• EMAIL

Steady winds: up to 180 km (112 mi) per hour.
Short gusts of wind: up to 300 km (189 mi) per hour.

Eye

The eye of a hurricane is about 32 km (20 mi) across and has no clouds overhead. It's a long tube of calm all the way to the sea — like the hole in the center of water swirling down a drain.

Rain Bands

The spiral "arms" of a hurricane are made up of layers of thunderstorm clouds. The bands — up to 48 km (30 mi) wide — are where all the rain and lightning come from.

 

October, 1992

Escaping the Storm
Learn about the annual hurricane season, which typically spans from June until November every year.

Activity Plan 5-6: Meterologists
Children will learn about weather words and the work of meteorologists as they begin to observe, describe, record, and predict the weather in this ready-to-use teaching idea for five- and six-year-olds. Activity: Science

Catch the Wave
Kelly Slater lies stomach-down on his surfboard. Taking a peek behind him, Slater spies a bulge of water building up. With long, deep strokes, he uses his hands to paddle forward toward the shore. When the billowing wave reaches Slater, it boosts him up and forward. Still paddling, Slater feels the water begin to topple over. He pops up onto his feet just in time to ride the wave.

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