Can hurricanes reach Europe?

February 27, 2008


Erica's Answer:

Hurricanes need warm water to attain and maintain their strength. Sometimes, a hurricane is able to maintain its tropical characteristics as it moves north, though. In this case, we say the storm has become "extratropical", since it no longer has warm water to draw from. The former hurricane starts to look like a typical mid-latitude storm system as it moves further northeast. And yes, rarely, these storms do impact Europe! However, the storm would not be considered a hurricane anymore.

- Erica

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