hurricane

A regional name for a tropical cyclone with 1-min average surface (measured at 10 m) winds in excess of 32 m s⁻¹ (64 kt) in the Western Hemisphere (North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern and central North Pacific east of the date line).

The name is derived from “huracan,” a Taino and Carib god, or “hunraken,” the Mayan storm god. For a more complete discussion, see tropical cyclone.

Term edited 15 June 2026.