.

Similarly one may ask, where do the thunderstorms in hurricanes draw their heat from?

Tropical cyclones derive energy from warm ocean water and the latent heat that is released as rising air condenses to form clouds. In hurricanes, the most intense of the tropical cyclones, warm air rises to form a spiraling pattern of clouds.

Also, how far from the equator do hurricanes form? Observations show that no hurricanes form within 5 degrees latitude of the equator. People argue that the Coriolis force is too weak there to get air to rotate around a low pressure rather than flow from high to low pressure, which it does initially. If you can't get the air to rotate you can't get a storm.

In this regard, why do hurricanes form in tropical latitudes?

Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth. Tropical cyclones are like giant engines that use warm, moist air as fuel. That is why they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air over the ocean rises upward from near the surface.

Why do hurricanes not form near the equator?

Coriolis force is expressed as Coriolis Force=2VΩsin A. This is why there is no Coriolis force at the equator and why hurricanes rarely form near the equator. The Coriolis force is simply too weak to move the air around low pressure. Air prefers to flow from high to low pressure.