Cape Verde hurricane facts for kids
A Cape Verde hurricane (also called a Cabo Verde hurricane) is a powerful storm that starts near the Cape Verde islands. These islands are off the coast of West Africa. These storms begin as a "tropical wave" that moves away from Africa.
About two Cape Verde hurricanes happen each year during the Atlantic hurricane season. They are often the biggest and strongest storms of the season. This is because they have a lot of warm ocean to grow over before they reach land. Many of the longest-lasting storms in the Atlantic Ocean are Cape Verde hurricanes.
Some famous Cape Verde hurricanes include Allen, Ivan, Dean, and Irma. These storms have set many records. While many of these storms stay harmlessly out at sea, some travel across the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico. They can cause a lot of damage to places like Caribbean nations, Central America, Mexico, Bermuda, the United States, and sometimes even Canada. Scientists have been studying these storms since the 1970s to understand how they form.
How Cape Verde Hurricanes Start
Before the 1940s, the name "Cape Verde hurricane" was used for storms that formed in August and early September. These storms started east of where maps usually showed them.
Cape Verde hurricanes usually begin from something called a "tropical wave." These waves form in the African savanna (a type of grassland) during the rainy season. Then, they move into the African steppes (another type of grassland). The disturbances then move off the western coast of Africa. They often become tropical cyclones soon after leaving the coast. This happens within 1,100 to 1,600 kilometers (about 680 to 990 miles) of the Cape Verde Islands. This area is in the tropical parts east of the 40th meridian west.
Since satellites have been used, scientists have seen Cape Verde hurricanes form earlier and later in the year. For example, Hurricane Bertha in 2008 formed on July 3. Hurricane Joan–Miriam in 1988 formed as late as October 10.
Studying These Storms
In 1974, twenty countries worked together on a research project called GATE. They used Douglas DC-6 airplanes to study the tropical waves that create Cape Verde hurricanes.
In 2006, there was another two-month research project called NAMMA-06. This stands for NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities. During this project, scientists flew Douglas DC-8 planes into the early stages of storms in the eastern Atlantic. These were storms that had the chance to become Cape Verde hurricanes.
See also
In Spanish: Huracán de tipo Cabo Verde para niños
