# Why do hurricanes weaken over land?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 19, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136 "2005-07-19T14:06:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/1 "2005-07-19T14:06:56Z")

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Not really much to add beyond the title question. It seems that hurricanes weaken when they make “landfall” on even relatively small islands. For that matter, why don’t they form over land? It seems like the same atmospheric conditions creating a hurricane would exist over land.

For that matter, why do hurricanes only get created in tropical climates?

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**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/2 "2005-07-19T14:28:39Z")

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[From NOAA.gov](http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C2.html)

> [@](#):
>
> However, after just a few hours, a tropical cyclone over land will begin to weaken rapidly - not because of friction - but because the storm lacks the moisture and heat sources that the ocean provided. This depletion of moisture and heat hurts the tropical cyclone’s ability to produce thunderstorms near the storm center. Without this convection, the storm rapidly fills.

Basically, the answer to both your questions is hurricanes like hot water.

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/3 "2005-07-19T14:29:12Z")

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Hurricanes suck their energy from the heat in the water. Land does not give up the heat as readily–there have been some proposals for massive water chilling to stall dangerous hurricanes, but that would be a huge undertaking.

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/4 "2005-07-19T14:43:24Z")

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Ocean water temps have to be 79 degrees farenheit and above in order for a hurricane to form. This is why there’s a “season”, it corresponds to a general increase in ocean temps. The warmer the waters it travels through, the greater the potential strength of the hurricane.

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**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/5 "2005-07-19T16:09:57Z")

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Thank you all very much. I guess I don’t need to worry here in Wyoming. 🙂

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/6 "2005-07-19T16:16:16Z")

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> [@Reloy3](#):
>
> I guess I don’t need to worry here in Wyoming. 🙂

Except for the [SUPER volcano](http://exodus2006.com/supervol.html)🙂

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**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hurricanes-weaken-over-land/313136/7 "2005-07-19T20:09:23Z")

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> [@lieu](#):
>
> The warmer the waters it travels through, the greater the potential strength of the hurricane.

This is why hurricanes tend to strengthen as they cross the Gulf of Mexico- the water in the Gulf is warm.