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version 4.6
June 1, 2013

D : TROPICAL CYCLONE WINDS AND ENERGY

Text version of TROPICAL CYCLONE WINDS AND ENERGY

• D1) How are Atlantic hurricanes ranked? Revised


• D2) How are Australian tropical cyclones ranked?


• D3) Why do tropical cyclones' winds rotate counter-clockwise (clockwise) in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere?


• D4) What does "maximum sustained wind" mean ? How does it relate to gusts in tropical cyclones ?


• D5) How does the damage that hurricanes cause increase as a function of wind speed?


• D6) Why are the strongest winds in a hurricane typically on the right side of the storm?


• D7) How much energy does a hurricane release?


• D8) What are "concentric eyewall cycles" (or "eyewall replacement cycles") and why do they cause a hurricane's maximum winds to weaken ?


• D9) What causes each hurricane to have a different maximum wind speed for that given minimum sea-level pressure?


• D10) Why do hurricane force winds start at 64 knots ?

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