A Wonderleaf question
Why do hurricanes spin?
a real page from the book
Hurricanes spin because air is rushing inward toward very low pressure, and Earth's rotation bends that moving air sideways. In the Northern Hemisphere the bend makes storms turn counterclockwise; south of the equator they turn the other way. Warm seas power the rising air that keeps the whirl going.
The strangest part is the eye: while winds roar around it, the center can feel eerily quiet, with calmer air and sometimes a patch of sky above. A storm can be peaceful in one small circle and dangerous just a short distance away.
Wonder words
- pressure
- coriolis
- hemisphere
- spiral
Try it out
Stir a bowl of water, then drop in crumbs or pepper and watch how they circle toward the middle.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Why do mountains change the weather?
- Why is frost sparkly?
- Why is the sky sometimes gray?
- Why do clouds change shape?
- How do meteorologists predict the weather?
- Why does the air smell different after rain?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own question