1. Which word is the origin of the term hurricane ? 2. How many hurricanes occur worldwide each year? 3. What happens

1. The term "hurricane" originates from the Taino language, spoken by the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands. The Taino word "huracán" referred to a god of storm and evil, demonstrating the powerful and destructive nature of hurricanes.

2. The number of hurricanes occurring worldwide each year can vary. However, on average, there are approximately 80 tropical storms, 40-50 hurricanes, and 6-7 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale) annually. It"s important to note that these numbers can fluctuate from year to year due to various factors such as climate patterns and global atmospheric conditions.

3. When hurricanes approach land, several changes occur to the waves in the affected area. First, the waves become larger and more powerful as the hurricane"s strong winds transfer their energy to the water. This process is known as wave amplification. Additionally, the waves become more chaotic and irregular, causing them to break more forcefully along the coastline. This can result in storm surges, which are elevated sea levels that can cause significant coastal flooding and damage.

4. Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are essentially the same weather phenomena, but they are referred to by different names depending on the region in which they occur. Hurricane is the term used in the Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Pacific Ocean, cyclone is used in the Indian Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean, and typhoon is the term used in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Despite the different names, these storms share similar characteristics and are all tropical cyclones, featuring strong winds rotating around a low-pressure center. The main distinction lies in the geographical location where they occur rather than in their nature or behavior.