The calm center of a hurricane is called the eye and is surrounded by fierce winds.

The longer version

At the centre of a mature tropical cyclone, air sinks rather than rises. That sinking suppresses cloud formation and leaves a roughly circular patch of lighter wind and clearer sky, typically tens of kilometres across, which is called the eye.

Surrounding it is the eyewall, a ring of the deepest cloud and the strongest winds, where air rushes upward with the greatest force. Moving from eyewall to eye brings a sudden calm, then just as abruptly fierce wind from the opposite direction as the far side arrives. The eye also tends to shrink and tighten as the storm strengthens.

Where this entry sits

Clouds, wind, rain, and storms shape daily life in ways that most people barely notice. This collection explains snow, lightning, rainbows, the turning seasons, temperature, the instruments forecasters rely on, and scraps of old weather lore. The full list sits on the Weather and Climate page, where every entry is listed in order.