Atmosphere Contents

6. Secondary Circulation

There are several differences between a hurricane and a mid-latitude storm

A hurricane derives its energy from the warm water and the latent heat of condensation, whereas a mid-latitude storm derives its energy from horizontal temperature contrasts. A hurricane weakens with height and has strongest winds at the surface, whereas a mid-latitude cyclone usually intensifies with increasing height and has strongest winds in the jet stream above. Despite such differences, both are areas of low surface pressure, with winds moving anticlockwise in the northern and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

A hurricane

What are the differences between hurricanes and mid-latitude storms?