How did Hurricane Harvey get so strong?
Hurricane Harvey is whirling towards Texas with winds reaching 130 miles per hour — a Category 4 hurricane that was fueled by an unlucky pit stop over a deep patch of warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.
Warm water feeds hurricanes, which form when a weather disturbance, like a small storm, sucks the moist, warm air over the ocean’s surface into the lower atmosphere. When that moisture-laden air reaches cooler temperatures higher up in the atmosphere, the water condenses to form clouds — which spin and grow, fueled by more warm ocean water as it evaporates.
Warm ocean waters intensify hurricanes because they provide more heat — therefore, more energy — to the storm. And the Gulf of Mexico has been unusually warm this year, the Associated…
