Question

Suppose the eye of a hurricane passed directly over you, and you survived the experience. If winds were from the northeast as the eyewall first approached you, from what direction did the winds blow when the eyewall reached you the second time?

1. SW
2. SE
3. NE
4. NW

Answer 1

SW

Step-by-step explanation:

When a hurricane intensifies and the wind speed increases, an eye begins to form in the center of the storm. This normally occurs once the winds reach about 80 mph. Almost always the eye is circular when viewed from above, and measures about 20 to 40 miles in diameter. It looks cylindrical in a cross section of the storm, and extends through the center of the storm like a chimney. The air over the storm sinks through the center of the eye.

Hurricanes are formed from centers of low atmospheric pressures in warm waters around which strong air currents begin to circulate.

When ocean water heats up, the air rises and swirls to fill the low pressure that this creates.

This causes the air to be sucked in and up, which reinforces the low pressure in the center.

Thus, when the wind speed increases to 128 km / h, a kind of "vacuum" is created that meteorologists call "eye", since it has an almost circular shape.