Hurricanes hardly ever form very close to the equator

On a good day to remember:

Hurricanes hardly ever form very close to the equator — let alone cross it. That’s because the Coriolis effect, caused by Earth’s rotation, is essentially zero at the equator and too weak within a few degrees north or south to spin up a tropical storm.

In fact, the only well-documented exception is Typhoon Vamei, which formed in December 2001 at about 1.4° N (roughly 150 km north of the equator) in the South China Sea.

So yes — under nearly all natural conditions, hurricanes don’t form or cross near the equator. That said, rare anomalies do happen, reminding us how complex and delicate our planet’s systems are.