On Saturday night, tropical storm Julia made landfall on the Colombian island of San Andres. As it moved toward the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, it strengthened into a hurricane with top sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h).

The NHC warned that Central America and Southern Mexico may experience deadly flash floods and mudslides through the start of the following week.

Also read: Tropical storm Julia becomes a hurricane, heads toward eastern coast of Central America

When does a storm become a hurricane?

When a tropical storm’s sustained wind speed reaches 74 miles per hour or above, it becomes a hurricane. The most evident distinction between a hurricane and a tropical storm is wind speed.

A hurricane is a tropical weather phenomenon with an extreme intensity that spins in a broad circular pattern. While a category 5 hurricane has the maximum wind speeds, a category 1 storm has lesser wind speeds.

Also read: What is the Atlantic hurricane season?

In order to help people, families, and communities estimate the risk of an approaching storm, wind speed, and category designation is crucial. It’s crucial to remember, though, that storms in categories 1 or 2 can be just as hazardous or destructive as storms in categories 4 or 5. For instance, a category 1 or 2 storm could nevertheless produce a significant storm surge and a massive amount of rain in a certain area.

Also read: 5 different cyclone categories

Although stronger than a tropical storm, hurricanes feature a number of additional characteristics, such as:

Eye of the Hurricane

During hurricanes, eyes form. Directly at the core of the hurricane, the eye can range in size from 20 to 40 miles. As the storm revolves around the eye, this area is typically quiet and clear.

Hurricane Eye Wall

The hurricane’s eye wall, which surrounds it, is where the strongest winds and most torrential rainfall are to be found. The eye wall’s width can reach 30 kilometres. The strongest part of a hurricane, known as the eye wall, strikes a region right after the eye has passed over it.

Also read: How to prepare for hurricanes and recover from them

Hurricane rain bands

The clouds that swirl around the eye wall are known as rain bands. The hurricane’s distinctive pinwheel shape is due to this. The main component of a storm, the rain bands, can extend up to 300 miles and rotate slowly in a counterclockwise direction.