Final answer:
A tropical cyclone requires sea temperatures above 80 °F to form. The warm water leads to the creation of strong wind currents and heavy rainfall. Tropical cyclones go through stages, starting as tropical depressions and potentially escalating to hurricanes.
Step-by-step explanation:
For a tropical cyclone to form, the sea temperature needs to be warmer than 80 °F (approximately 26.5 °C). This warm temperature is crucial because it causes the air above the ocean surface to heat up and rise rapidly, leading to the creation of strong wind currents and storm conditions.
As this humid air rises, it cools and condenses, resulting in heavy rainfalls and downdrafts of cooler air. The Earth's rotation also contributes to the cyclonic movement of these storms, with storms rotating counterclockwise north of the equator and clockwise to the south of it.
Hurricanes, which are a type of tropical cyclone, develop through stages. They start as tropical depressions with wind speeds between 25 and 38 miles per hour. When the winds reach sustained speeds of 39 to 73 miles per hour, the weather event is then classified as a tropical storm and given a name. Upon achieving sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or more, the storm officially becomes a hurricane.