JPS Disaster Centre
WHAT ARE HURRICANES?
A hurricane develops when the wind in an area of disturbed weather reaches the speed of 119 kilometers per hour. The winds in a hurricane can reach speeds as high as 280 kilometres per hour. The strong winds are usually accompanied by thunderstorms, heavy rains, and floods, causing significant damage. The area affected by a hurricane is influenced by the diameter of the hurricane, which can be up to 1,000 kilometres wide.
The Hurricane Season in the Caribbean is from June to November. Hurricanes develop over the North Atlantic Ocean, in the western and southern Caribbean Sea and in the Gulf of Mexico. They develop as air over the warm sea absorbs moisture and rises. As this happens, cooler air moves in to replace the rising air and slowly the area of disturbed weather increases. Winds in a hurricane blow anticlockwise, in a spiral around a moving center, called an eye.
Hurricanes are categorized according to their wind speed. The categories range from 1 to 5, as follows:
| Category | Wind Speeds (km/h) | Height of Storm Surge Waves (metres) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 119 - 151 | 1.0 - 1.5 |
| 2 | 152 - 176 | 1.6 - 2.4 |
| 3 | 177 - 209 | 2.5 - 3.6 |
| 4 | 210 - 249 | 3.7 - 5.5 |
| 5 | Over 249 | Over 5.5 |
UPDATES
There are no Hurricane Updates at this time.
