How is air pressure related to hurricane wind speed?

Asked by: Chris Walter

The intensity of a hurricane is closely related to its central pressure with the lower the pressure the more intense the storm and its maximum sustained winds.

How does air pressure contribute to hurricanes?

Even higher in the atmosphere (above 30,000 feet or 9,000 meters) high-pressure air over the storm’s center also removes heat from the rising air, further driving the air cycle and the hurricane’s growth. As high-pressure air is sucked into the low-pressure center of the storm, wind speeds increase.

How does pressure affect wind speed?

The Short Answer: Gases move from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas. And the bigger the difference between the pressures, the faster the air will move from the high to the low pressure. That rush of air is the wind we experience.

Is the air pressure high or low during a hurricane?

Inside a hurricane, the barometric pressure at the ocean’s surface drops to extremely low levels. This central low pressure draws in warm, moist ocean air, and thunderstorms swirl around the center of these massive storms.

Is wind stronger in high or low pressure?

Wind is generated when air moves from a high pressure system to a low pressure system. The greater the pressure difference, the stronger the wind. Temperature differences cause these pressure differences.

What is relationship between wind and pressure?

There is a close relationship between the pressure and the wind speed. The greater the difference in air pressure between the two points, the steeper is the pressure gradient and greater is the speed of the wind. The gentler the pressure gradient slower is the speed of the wind.

What increases wind speed?

Wind speed increases with increasing height above the ground, starting from zero due to the no-slip condition. Flow near the surface encounters obstacles that reduce the wind speed, and introduce random vertical and horizontal velocity components at right angles to the main direction of flow.

How do air pressure and winds influence the weather?

High air pressure produces clear sky, dry and stable weather. In a low pressure zone, wind is circulated inwards and upwards rapidly. As a result, air rises and cools; clouds and precipitate are formed. Low air pressure produces unstable weather conditions like rain or storms.