Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters near the equator, where the sea surface temperature is at least about 26–27°C (79–80°F). These warm waters provide the heat and moisture that fuel the storm. Hurricanes specifically form in tropical regions, generally between about 5° and 30° latitude north and south of the equator, because the Coriolis force (which causes the storm to spin) is too weak closer than 5° to the equator

. The main ocean basins where hurricanes (or tropical cyclones) form include:

• The North Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (hurricane season June 1 to November 30)

• The Eastern North Pacific Ocean, off the west coast of Mexico (season May 15 to November 30)

• The Northwest Pacific Ocean, where these storms are called typhoons and can form year-round but are most common July to November

• The Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean (April to December, with two peak periods)

• The Southwest Pacific Ocean near Australia (October to May)

Hurricanes generally begin as tropical waves or disturbances over these warm tropical waters, where warm, moist air rises, creating low pressure and causing surrounding air to spiral inward and upward, forming a rotating storm system

. In summary, hurricanes form over warm tropical ocean waters near the equator but at least 5 degrees away from it, primarily in the Atlantic Ocean, eastern Pacific Ocean, and other tropical ocean basins around the world