In the northern hemisphere hurricanes normally move in a westward direction and then they turn north and northeast. Their path takes them away from the warm tropical water of  the equator. 

When hurricanes move over colder water or over land they lose a lot of their energy. They slow down and as time goes on, they disperse . In the southern hemisphere their path leads them to the south and southeast.


tracks of North Atlantic hurricanes

Tracks of North Atlantic hurricanes between 1851 and 2025
Image:Nilfanion, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons 


Words

  • disperse = break up, go away 
  • equator = line around the middle of the Earth
  • hemisphere = half of the Earth
  • path = route, direction