GCSE Geography | Natural hazards such as hurricanes, cyclones or typhoons

Geography Quiz - Hurricanes (Questions)

Hurricanes are powerful tropical storms with strong winds and heavy rain. This GCSE Geography quiz tests how and where they form, move and cause damage.

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Fascinating Fact:

Hurricanes are rotated by the Coriolis effect, so they spin anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

In GCSE Geography, the Hurricanes topic explains how intense tropical storms develop over warm oceans, why they follow curved tracks and what happens when they reach land. You learn about the structure of a hurricane, the hazards they create, and how prediction, preparation and long-term planning can reduce their impacts on people and the environment.

Key Terms

Hurricane: A very strong tropical storm with sustained winds above 119 km/h, forming over warm ocean waters near the tropics.
Eye: The calm, clear centre of a hurricane, surrounded by a ring of very strong winds and heavy rain called the eye wall.
Storm surge: A rapid rise in sea level caused by low pressure and strong winds, which can lead to severe coastal flooding.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do hurricanes form for GCSE Geography?

Hurricanes form over oceans with sea temperatures above about 27 °C, where warm, moist air rises, low pressure develops, and the Coriolis effect makes the storm spin and organise.

What is the difference between a hurricane, cyclone and typhoon?

They are the same type of tropical storm but with different regional names. In the Atlantic they are called hurricanes, in the Indian Ocean cyclones, and in the western Pacific typhoons.

How do people manage the impacts of hurricanes in GCSE case studies?

Impacts are managed by forecasting and warning systems, evacuation plans, storm shelters, strong building design, coastal defences, and long-term planning to avoid the most high-risk areas.

Try These Related Quizzes

Which of the following is not a name for a tropical revolving storm?

[ ]	Tornado
[ ]	Typhoon
[ ]	Hurricane
[ ]	Cyclone

Where do hurricanes form?

[ ]	At the equator
[ ]	Between 5 and 10 degrees north of the equator
[ ]	Between 5 and 20 degrees from the equator
[ ]	More than 45 degrees from the equator

Why does a hurricane lose strength when it is over a land mass?

[ ]	The trees and buildings absorb the energy
[ ]	The sun shines more over the sea than land
[ ]	It gets its energy from warm moist air rising from the sea
[ ]	Over land, the eye changes shape

What temperature must the sea be for a hurricane to form?

[ ]	Less than 25°C
[ ]	At least 26°C
[ ]	Between 0 and 10°C
[ ]	50°C

In 2005, hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in the south of the USA. Much of the city was flooded but what was the main cause of the flooding?

[ ]	Heavy rain
[ ]	Rivers bursting their banks because of the rain
[ ]	Blocked drains
[ ]	A storm surge

The centre of a hurricane is called the ...

[ ]	ear
[ ]	nose
[ ]	eye
[ ]	throat

Which of the following is not a reason why there is a larger loss of life in LEDCs than MEDCs during a hurricane?

[ ]	The storm warning systems are better in MEDCs
[ ]	MEDCs can afford to plant trees to shelter urban centres from storms
[ ]	Richer countries can afford to build more hurricane shelters
[ ]	MEDCs can begin disaster relief operations much sooner than LEDCs

Which of the following is not a hazard to human settlements caused by hurricanes?

[ ]	Earthquakes
[ ]	Flooding
[ ]	Destruction of buildings
[ ]	Damage to communications networks

Where do hurricanes usually form?

[ ]	In a tropical rainforest
[ ]	In the northern hemisphere
[ ]	Over polar seas
[ ]	Over tropical seas

10.

To be called a hurricane, the wind speed in a storm must be ...

[ ]	between 0 and 20 mph
[ ]	between 20 and 37 mph
[ ]	between 35 and 55 mph
[ ]	at least 75 mph

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Extreme weather

Geography Quiz - Hurricanes (Answers)

Which of the following is not a name for a tropical revolving storm?

[x]	Tornado
[ ]	Typhoon
[ ]	Hurricane
[ ]	Cyclone

A tornado is much smaller and is also called a whirlwind

Where do hurricanes form?

[ ]	At the equator
[ ]	Between 5 and 10 degrees north of the equator
[x]	Between 5 and 20 degrees from the equator
[ ]	More than 45 degrees from the equator

Further away from the equator, the seas never become warm enough to start a hurricane. The rising air must be rotating, any closer to the equator than 5 degrees and the coriolis force is too weak to cause rotation

Why does a hurricane lose strength when it is over a land mass?

[ ]	The trees and buildings absorb the energy
[ ]	The sun shines more over the sea than land
[x]	It gets its energy from warm moist air rising from the sea
[ ]	Over land, the eye changes shape

There is not as much warm moist air over land as there is at sea so there is a lot less energy to power the hurricane

What temperature must the sea be for a hurricane to form?

[ ]	Less than 25°C
[x]	At least 26°C
[ ]	Between 0 and 10°C
[ ]	50°C

Where the sea surface temperature is 26°C or more, it is possible for a hurricane to form. Once a hurricane forms, it can travel long distances

In 2005, hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in the south of the USA. Much of the city was flooded but what was the main cause of the flooding?

[ ]	Heavy rain
[ ]	Rivers bursting their banks because of the rain
[ ]	Blocked drains
[x]	A storm surge

The strong winds of a hurricane create a bulge of water which is called a storm surge. In the case of New Orleans, the surge was about 6m. The flood defences were poorly constructed and failed to stop the surge from entering the city

The centre of a hurricane is called the ...

[ ]	ear
[ ]	nose
[x]	eye
[ ]	throat

It is an area that is clear of clouds because it is where cold air is sinking downwards. Clouds only form from rising warm air that cools down at higher altitudes

Which of the following is not a reason why there is a larger loss of life in LEDCs than MEDCs during a hurricane?

[ ]	The storm warning systems are better in MEDCs
[x]	MEDCs can afford to plant trees to shelter urban centres from storms
[ ]	Richer countries can afford to build more hurricane shelters
[ ]	MEDCs can begin disaster relief operations much sooner than LEDCs

There are other reasons too such as higher literacy rates so populations understand the dangers and what they should do to stay safer during a hurricane, better hurricane survival education programmes and more sturdily-constructed buildings

Which of the following is not a hazard to human settlements caused by hurricanes?

[x]	Earthquakes
[ ]	Flooding
[ ]	Destruction of buildings
[ ]	Damage to communications networks

There is no link between earthquakes and hurricanes