Formation of Hurricanes News Weather Horoscopes E-mail Visit our sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hurricanes A cyclone that eventually reaches hurricane intensity first passes through two intermediate stages known as tropical depression and tropical storm.
Hurricanes start over the oceans as a collection of storms in the tropics.
The upward velocity of the air and subsequent condensation make the eye wall the region of heaviest precipitation and highest clouds. Because the outward increase in pressure is greatest there, the eye wall is also the region of maximum wind speed. By contrast, the hurricane eye is almost calm, experiences little or no precipitation, and is often exposed to blue sky. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.