Where and why do Hurricanes occur?
Hurricanes are by far most common in the Pacific Ocean, with the western Pacific being most active. They thunder across the warm oceans of the world such as the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Western Pacific Ocean (where they are called typhoons), up to higher latitudes. These cyclones/hurricanes occur along the warmest region of the planet known as the tropical convergence zone and that they travel from east to west. They are one of the ways by which nature tries to attain an energy balance between the surface and the atmosphere. Hurricanes are the direct result of the rise in ocean temperature in the areas near the tropics. A hurricane will happen when the temperature of the water is 80 degrees F or higher. They occur because the hot and cold climates mix together to form the funnel cloud and they always form over the ocean. The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30. (Below is a graphic that shows you when hurricanes are most active across parts of the world.)