The poles receive more direct sunshine so it has to do with the angle that the light hits. The Earth is round and when light hits it the light wraps around the earth. At the poles the light is very stretched and at the equator it is very direct hence it is hotter at the poles.
Most fo the hurricanes that affect the east coast of the United States originally form over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean in Summer (1). The warm waters of the Gulf Stream run along the east coast of the United States. This provides an environment which is conducive to the development of hurricanes. The basics of the formation of a hurricane are as follows. Winds start blowing in a circular motion. This causes hot, moist air to rise. Clouds are formed and the winds start blowing faster and faster. This forms a low-pressure zone. The surrounding high-pressure zones pull the hurricane towards them. As the hurricane moves, it either picks up speed or decreases its speed and intensity.