How did hurricane Isaac start?

Answer 1

Hurricanes form in tropical regions where there is warm water, typically at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 27 degrees Celsius, moist air and converging equatorial winds. Most Atlantic hurricanes begin off the west coast of Africa and start out as thunderstorms that move out over the warm and tropical ocean waters. A thunderstorm reaches hurricane status in three stages. A tropical depression has swirling clouds and rain with wind speeds of less than 38 miles per hour. A tropical storm has wind speeds of 39 to 73 miles per hour and a hurricane has wind speeds greater than 74 miles per hour. It can take anywhere from a couple of hours to several days for a thunderstorm to develop into a hurricane. Chances are Hurricane Isaac began the same way most every hurricane starts.