What is the average duration of a hurricane?

The life cycle of a hurricane varies and can last merely a single day or as long as a month. The majority of hurricanes last a few weeks before losing strength and dissipating.

A hurricane starts as an area of low pressure known as a tropical disturbance. Hurricanes grow stronger as they draw thermal energy from warm ocean waters, but quickly lose strength once they make landfall or move into areas that have a lower water temperature. In 1994, Hurricane John became the longest-lasting hurricane on record, maintaining wind speeds and hurricane status for 31 days between August and September.