answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

When the sustained winds of a tropical cyclone reach 74 mph it is considered a hurricane.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

AnswerBot

3w ago

Hurricanes are given status based on the maximum sustained wind speed of the storm system. Specifically, when a storm reaches sustained wind speeds of 74 mph or higher, it is classified as a hurricane. Additionally, other factors like atmospheric conditions and the organization of the storm system are taken into account before making the classification.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What determines when a storm or tropical depression is given hurricane status?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

What number hurricane is bill?

Hurricane Bill is the second named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. Bill originated in a tropical wave that emerged from the western coast of Africa on August 12, and organized into a tropical depression on August 15. The depression was quickly upgraded to a tropical storm. Tracking generally west-northwestward, Bill attained hurricane status and major hurricane status on August 17 and August 18, respectively. The storm is currently a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.


When did Hurricane Irma start?

Hurricane Irma first became a tropical storm on Wednesday, August 30, 2017. On Thursday, August 31, 2017, Irma was officially upgraded to hurricane status.


What is the defining factor that changes a storms status from tropical storm to hurricane?

The defining factor that changes a storm's status from a tropical storm to a hurricane is when the maximum sustained wind speeds reach or exceed 74 mph (119 km/h). This increase in wind speed signifies that the storm has intensified and crossed the threshold to be classified as a hurricane.


Was hurricane fay ever a hurricane?

Yes, Hurricane Fay was a hurricane. It formed in August 2020 in the Atlantic Ocean, reaching maximum sustained winds of 85 mph before weakening. Fay made landfall in New Jersey as a tropical storm.


What will be the first hurricane name in the northern Atlantic in 2014?

The first named storm in the Atlantic in 2014 will be Arthur. However, a system only needs to become a tropical storm to be named, and there is no way of knowing whether this first tropical storm will attain hurricane status.

Related questions

Was there a tropical depression Sophia?

No. For one thing, tropical depressions aren't named. A system only receives a name when it reaches tropical storm status. Even then, no tropical storm or hurricane has been named Sophia.


What number hurricane is bill?

Hurricane Bill is the second named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. Bill originated in a tropical wave that emerged from the western coast of Africa on August 12, and organized into a tropical depression on August 15. The depression was quickly upgraded to a tropical storm. Tracking generally west-northwestward, Bill attained hurricane status and major hurricane status on August 17 and August 18, respectively. The storm is currently a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.


What is tropical cyclone in western Atlantic called?

A tropical cyclone in the western Atlantic is generally referred to as a hurricane.


What category hurricane was Fay?

Fay never became a hurricane. It was a tropical storm that fell just short of hurricane status


Why is there a hurricane known as 'hurricane Katrina'?

Hurricanes are named alphabetically in the order that they reach tropical storm status. It restarts every year, Katrina was the name of the Hurricane that hit New Orleans in 2005, it was the 11th tropical storm of that year.


Why was Hurricane Sandy caused?

Hurricanes are formed when light winds with high levels of humidity flow over warm sea surfaces. If the water temperature is above 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26C), storm conditions can grow quickly. Hurricane Sandy was first noticed on Oct 22, as a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea. She then picked up moisture from the warm waters while gaining strength. In six hours' time, she'd moved through tropical depression status to tropical storm status. Slowly moving northward and intensifying, she was upgraded to hurricane status on Oct 24. See the links below for more information:


When did Hurricane Irma start?

Hurricane Irma first became a tropical storm on Wednesday, August 30, 2017. On Thursday, August 31, 2017, Irma was officially upgraded to hurricane status.


What is the defining factor that changes a storms status from tropical storm to hurricane?

The defining factor that changes a storm's status from a tropical storm to a hurricane is when the maximum sustained wind speeds reach or exceed 74 mph (119 km/h). This increase in wind speed signifies that the storm has intensified and crossed the threshold to be classified as a hurricane.


Was hurricane fay ever a hurricane?

Yes, Hurricane Fay was a hurricane. It formed in August 2020 in the Atlantic Ocean, reaching maximum sustained winds of 85 mph before weakening. Fay made landfall in New Jersey as a tropical storm.


What will be the first hurricane name in the northern Atlantic in 2014?

The first named storm in the Atlantic in 2014 will be Arthur. However, a system only needs to become a tropical storm to be named, and there is no way of knowing whether this first tropical storm will attain hurricane status.


What category was hurricane fey?

The storm named Fay never reached hurricane status. Fay peaked as a strong tropical storm with 70 mph winds. Winds must reach at least 74 mph for a storm to be considered a hurricane.


How did hurricane Isaac start?

Hurricanes form in tropical regions where there is warm water, typically at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 27 degrees Celsius, moist air and converging equatorial winds. Most Atlantic hurricanes begin off the west coast of Africa and start out as thunderstorms that move out over the warm and tropical ocean waters. A thunderstorm reaches hurricane status in three stages. A tropical depression has swirling clouds and rain with wind speeds of less than 38 miles per hour. A tropical storm has wind speeds of 39 to 73 miles per hour and a hurricane has wind speeds greater than 74 miles per hour. It can take anywhere from a couple of hours to several days for a thunderstorm to develop into a hurricane. Chances are Hurricane Isaac began the same way most every hurricane starts.