How Storms Work
The science: formation, wind shear, rapid intensification.
What is Wind Shear? 🔒
Wind shear — a change in wind speed or direction with height — is one of the biggest forces deciding whether a storm strengthens or falls apart. Here's what it is, why hurricanes need low shear to grow, and how forecasters use it.
intermediateUnderstanding Rapid Intensification 🔒
Rapid intensification is when a storm's winds spike at least 35 mph in 24 hours, turning a modest system dangerous with little warning. Here's why it happens, why it's so hard to forecast, and what it means for your preparations.
advancedUnderstanding Tropical Cyclone Forecasting 🔒
How do forecasters predict where a hurricane will go and how strong it will get? Here's a plain-language look at how tropical-cyclone forecasting works — the models, the data, the cone — and why track forecasts have improved far more than intensity ones.
intermediate