How and why does a hurricane form? Watch the following video to find out.
Check your listening comprehension by doing this exercise. Bring the different processes of the formation of a hurricane into the right order. If you have difficulties to understand some of the words, have a look at the word list further down this page.
 
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  • When the thunderstorms encounter the warm water of the Atlantic, they convert the heat energy into mechanical energy of the winds.
     
  • Most hurricanes in the Atlantic begin as small atmospheric disturbances (so called "easterly waves").
     
  • The "easterly waves" create turbulent eddies, which develop into a cluster or thunderstorm.
     
  • When the winds reach 70 miles per hour, the storm develops an eye which is surrounded by an eye wall: A hurricane is born.
     
  • The thunderstorms then travel west across the African continent, become better organised and rotate around each other.
     
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Here you can find a list of important words for this topic. If you like, you can practise the words with the vocabulary trainer underneath.

Word List: hurricane

    • thunderstorm, thunderstorms(noun)
    • Definition:
      • storm with thunder and lightning
    • hurricane, hurricanes(noun)
    • Definition:
      • tropical storm
    • eddy, eddies(noun)
    • Definition:
      • a current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to the main current
    • cluster, clusters(noun)
    • Definition:
      • group or bunch of something
    • jet stream, jet streams(noun)
    • Definition:
      • air current
    • trigger(verb)
    • Definition:
      • to initiate something
    • rotate(verb)
    • Definition:
      • to spin, turn, or revolve
 

Vocabulary trainer

 
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thunderstorm
hurricane
eddy
cluster
trigger
rotate
 
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        Word and Definition

         
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        rotate
        to spin, turn, or revolve
        trigger
        to initiate something
        eddy
        a current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to the main current
        cluster
        group or bunch of something
        thunderstorm
        storm with thunder and lightning
        jet stream
        air current
        hurricane
        tropical storm
         
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