storm center
- noun
- /stɔrm ˈsɛntər/
- US
:
centro de tormenta
- The hurricane's storm center passed directly over the island, bringing intense winds and rain.
Examples
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Meteorologists closely tracked the movement of the storm center to predict the path of the cyclone.
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Emergency responders set up a base near the storm center to coordinate efforts for evacuation and safety measures.
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Heavy rainfall was recorded near the storm center, but conditions improved as the system moved away.
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The storm center is nearby.
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Watch out for the storm center!
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The meteorologists reported that the storm center was moving toward the coastline, increasing the risk of severe weather in the area.
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When the hurricane hit, the storm center caused winds over 100 miles per hour, leading to widespread damage along the shore.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'central point or focal area of trouble' is directly compositional from 'storm' (trouble/disturbance) and 'center' (middle/place), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the phrase denotes the central area of a storm or figuratively the focal point of controversy. The noun+noun composition and the 'center of X' pattern are cross-linguistically common and therefore readily interpretable.
Etymology
Storm center comes from the real middle of a weather storm — the spot where wind and rain gather and the weather is worst. Because the storm's center is where people watch and work to organize help, the phrase also means a place used to 'coordinate' response during a storm.
