Dear Tom,
Why did the winds of Hurricane Fay increase while the storm was over land? I thought
hurricanes dissipated when they move over land.
William Brown, Chicago
Dear William,
Fay's sustained winds topped out at 60-65 m.p.h., below minimum hurricane strength of
74 m.p.h., and so Fay spent her life as a tropical storm (sustained winds 39-73 m.p.h.).
However, you are correct to state that hurricanes and tropical storms weaken and
eventually dissipate over land. The weather sometimes breaks the rules, if only briefly,
and Fay’s highest winds did, indeed, occur after the storm moved inland. After landfall,
conditions in the upper atmosphere (generally above 30,000 feet) became more favorable
for "ventilation"--dispersion away from the top of the storm of air rising through the body
of the storm—and Fay's winds strengthened 5-10 m.p.h to 60-65 m.p.h.
