How do hurricane winds differ from thunderstorm winds?
Most of the wind you experience in a thunderstorm is the result
of rain-cooled air descending from the storm and spreading out at
ground level. These winds are rather localized and periods of
strong wind usually do not last very long.
In a hurricane, the wind is the result of air being drawn toward
the intense low pressure at the eye of the storm. As a consequence
of Earth's rotation, these winds spiral around the storm's center
before being drawn up intot he rain beands and eye wall. Strong
winds in a hurricane cover an area hundreds of miles across and
often persist for hours.