What are hurricanes and how do they form?

The scientific name for a hurricane is a tropical cyclone. It is called a tropical cyclone because tropical means warm and it needs warm moist air for hurricanes to form. It is called a cyclone because hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are the same thing. Hurricanes form when warm moist air from the ocean starts to rise rapidly. Cold air forms over the ocean. If there is enough warm water, this cycle will continue and a high speed cyclone will form.