tropical cyclones, hurricanes or typhoons form when convection causes warm, moist air above the ocean to rise. they begin as a group of storms when the water gets as hot as 80 °f (27 °c) or hotter. the coriolis effect made by the earth's rotation causes the winds to rotate. warm air rises quickly. tropical cyclones usually move westward in the tropics, and can later move north or south into the temperate zone. the "eye of the storm" is the center. it has little rain or wind. the eye wall has the heaviest rain and the fastest winds. it is surrounded by rain bands which also have fast winds.