Question?

[feederband]

Since warm SST'S help in the strengthen of a system...Why wouldn't warm land temperatures...For example if a small in structure hurricane was to approach Florida during say a hot afternoon and the Ground temp was 85 to 90 could the storm strengthen of land?

[Anonymous]

Well, if the land is moist, humid, tropical air...it might not weaken as fast...example is Andrew.

[WXFIEND]

Besides the water being warm.... the water strengthends a hurricane because the hurricane needs moisture from the water...

when a hurricane is over land it dosen't weaken because its too cold, it weakens because it has no mositure source.

[Ivanhater]

i actually heard andrew strengthened over land

[feederband]

Besides the water being warm.... the water strengthends a hurricane because the hurricane needs moisture from the water...

when a hurricane is over land it dosen't weaken because its too cold, it weakens because it has no moisture source.

Ok makes since...The reason I asked I went out side and we have a dirt patch to my feet it felt like 200 degrees... Forgot about the moisture content part of it..

[Stratusxpeye]

i actually heard andrew strengthened over land

May have been because where he went was mainly water. Swamp water. Really warm water as well.

[wxmann_91]

From Wikipedia:

This use of condensation as a driving force is the primary difference which distinguishes tropical cyclones from other meteorological phenomena. Mid-latitude cyclones, for example, draw their energy mostly from pre-existing temperature gradients in the atmosphere. In order to continue to drive its heat engine, a tropical cyclone must remain over warm water, which provides the atmospheric moisture needed. The evaporation of this moisture is driven by the high winds and reduced atmospheric pressure present in the storm, resulting in a sustaining cycle. As a result, when a tropical cyclone passes over land, its strength will diminish rapidly.

So hurricanes depend on the evaporation of warm water, and that condenses into clouds. The heat stored inside the water vapor gets released as latent heat of condensation, and that latent heat helps fuel a hurricane. So, without the latent heat from warm oceanic water, hurricanes die, and land is not water, no matter how many lakes or marshes there are (though a hurricane passing over the Everglades won't weaken that much). Now I'm not really good at this, so yeah, please ask an expert. (the reason I keep saying that is I want everybody to know that this could be wrong, but I'm posting to see if the experts agree with me or not, if they do it means I'm not as dumb as i thought )

EDIT: never mind, 500 people already posted above me, well anyway, yeah it's that hurricanes can only use oceanic heat.

[EDR1222]

I am not sure about Andrew strengthening over Florida, but it sure didn't lose much if any steam.

[beachbum_al]

I could be wrong on this but I believe it has to do with the terrain of the land. The more hilly and mountainous it is the more it tears a hurricane up. The flatter and more humid/water is doesn't slow it down. I could be wrong and if I am please correct it!