Final answer:
Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere rotate in a counterclockwise direction due to the Coriolis force, which deflects winds to the right around low-pressure areas, creating the storm's rotation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hurricanes in the northern hemisphere rotate around a central core due to the effect of the Coriolis force. This force is a result of the Earth's rotation and causes winds to be deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere, leading to a counterclockwise rotation of these storm systems. When we look at hurricanes from above, such as in satellite images, this rotation is quite discernible because the intense low pressure in the center of hurricanes causes air to flow inward and upwards, creating characteristic spiral cloud patterns and the well-known 'eye' of the storm.
Contrarily, in the southern hemisphere, the Coriolis force causes the winds to deflect to the left, resulting in a clockwise rotation of tropical cyclones. This rotation is consistent across various types of low-pressure weather systems but is more pronounced in powerful storms like hurricanes, where the central low pressure is particularly strong. Figure diagrams, including Figure 6.16 and Figure 6.28, illustrate these dynamics and the impact of the Coriolis force on storm rotation in different hemispheres.