Tropical storms are intense low pressure weather systems that develop over warm seas (warmer than 27°C). They bring very strong winds, and if these exceed 119 km/h, the storm is known as a hurricane, a typhoon or a cyclone.
The photograph shows Hurricane Hilary, which developed over the Caribbean Sea in August 2023. It first made landfall in Mexico but then travelled north to California on the west coast of the USA. Look carefully at the photograph and you can see parts of Central America, Mexico and the southern states of the USA and the approaching storm. It brought very strong winds, up to 80 km/h, and torrential rain, and both Los Angeles and San Diego saw the wettest single summer day ever recorded. This resulted in extensive flooding but fortunately no loss of life, mainly because the storm was well forecast. Warnings were given and people were able to take precautions to protect themselves and their property.
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