Tropical disturbances, Tropical depressions, Tropical Storms, Hurricanes

This is a satellite view of the Atlantic during the 1995 hurricane season. Several tropical disturbances (moderate winds up to 20 knots), tropical depressions (winds between 20 and 34 knots), a tropical storm (sustained winds 35 to 64 knots), and a major hurricane (sustained winds greater than 65 knots) are visible in this scene. The wind patterns around these low pressure cells are visible as bands of clouds, emphasized by white dashes; notice the counter-clockwise rotation.

Notice that Hurricane Opal is influencing air circulation from latitude 10^o north to latitude 50^o north. With such powerful winds and far-reaching influence, hurricanes are the most powerful and feared of all weather phenomena. The driving energy behind these storms is latent heat, which is ultimately solar energy.