Why can’t hurricanes cross the equator?

Question

They are tropical storms so why can’t they traverse the entirety of the tropics?

In: 588

Answer 1

Typhoon Vamei formed just north of the equator, at 1.4°N latitude. This was estimated to be a one in 100-400 year storm.

For reference, major storms in the North Atlantic and northeast Pacific are called Hurricanes. In the northwest Pacific, they’re typhoons. Anywhere else, they’re tropical cyclones.