This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

How a Hurricane Forms

Hurricanes get their start over Africa. Take a look at how wet weather, wind and warm ocean waters whip up these powerful storms.

(1) BORN IN WEST AFRICA
When hot, dry air from the Sahara Desert meets cooler air from the Sahel region, small storms form.

(2) ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
Some storms remain small. But a few gather warm ocean moisture, speeding up as they travel west. When bands of these thunderstorms form a swirling pattern, the system is called a tropical depression.

(3) THE STORM INTENSIFIES
Winds spin around the "eye" at the storm's center. It is either a tropical storm or a hurricane, depending on the winds' speed.

(4) AFTER THE STORM
Hurricanes weaken over land. Some storms never hit land. Instead, they turn northeast and die out over the Atlantic Ocean.

Other winds affect the storm.
Upper- and lower-level winds blowing nearby in the same direction help hurricanes gain strength. Winds blowing in different directions or at different speeds can tear the storm apart.

Next: One Busy Hurricane Season