That discussion of dropping a nuclear bomb in the middle of a major hurricane has floated for quite a while....
The basic premise is that it could act like a gust of wind blowing out a match....
Some of the more weather enlightened said it would be more like throwing gasoline on a fire....pushing millions of gallons of vaporized water into the the huricane...
Honestly I haven't a clue but there are a few folks on this thread that could elaborate....
Of course, ya' kinda' have to get past the thought of detonating a thermo-nuclear device in our backyard...
NeverGore :^)
I don't think it would be particularly helpful. If we look at the temperatures in the Gulf right now:
we can see the amount of energy that Katrina removed. I don't think a nuclear weapon has enough energy to really hurt or harm a major hurricane. A major hurricane is just too powerful. It could certainly help a hurricane in the short term I suppose if it was dropped at or below sea level creating extra water vapor (the fuel for a hurricane). If it was dropped above a hurricane I think it would help a little bit since it would help push away the dry air in the outflow channels. It might even be able to shred the eyewall, but as we know from eyewall cycles the eyewall periodically reforms (when it becomes too dry) and it would do so again after it was displaced. More on the eyewall replacement cycle.
Or blowing up a hundred rigs in the Gulf too....