Paul W. Wilson, Age 13, Of Webbs Cross Road, Ky., for his question:

Why does the wind change after the hurricane eye has passed?

A hurricane is shaped somewhat like a whirling pinwheel. Its raging winds sweep in a spiral system around, and around the calm eye in the center of the vast storm. This means that the winds on one side of the circle blow in the opposite direction from the winds on the opposite side.

In the center of the spiraling winds is a calm region of rising sir. This is the eye of the hurricane. As the violent storm sweeps along, it strikes an area with winds on the forward side of the circle. Then the calm eye passes overhead and the winds abate. Now the area is struck with the winds blowing in the opposite direction on the other side of the pinwheel.