An intense, rotating storm system that draws its energy from warm ocean water, known regionally as a hurricane in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, a typhoon in the western Pacific, and simply a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. It organizes around a low-pressure center when sea surface temperatures, humidity and low wind shear allow convection to strengthen and spin under the Earth's rotation, producing destructive winds, torrential rain and storm surge. Tropical cyclones never form directly on the equator because the Coriolis effect needed to spin them vanishes there.
Facts
PeriodicityAbout 80 to 90 named tropical cyclones form worldwide each year on average. Globally September is the most active month and May the least; in the Northern Atlantic the season runs June 1 to November 30, peaking sharply from late August through September. 1 ScaleTypically 100 to 2,000 kilometers in diameter; the most intense storm on record, Typhoon Tip (1979), reached a minimum pressure of 870 hPa, while the highest sustained wind speed recorded, 185 knots (345 km/h), occurred in Hurricane Patricia in 2015. 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceA rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level circulation and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms producing heavy rain and squalls; called a hurricane in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific, a typhoon in the northwest Pacific, and simply a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. 1 Connections
Associated With
The intense, concentrated rainfall a tropical cyclone delivers is a direct and well-documented cause of flash flooding, both along the coast and far inland as the storm weakens.
Storm surge is the coastal rise in sea level driven directly by a tropical cyclone's high winds and low central pressure, and is recognized as the deadliest hazard the storm produces.
Tropical cyclones commonly spawn tornadoes within their rainbands, particularly in the quadrant ahead and to the right of the storm's track, a well-documented secondary hazard of landfalling cyclones.
Demonstrated By
Marine, Biomes Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sources
1. Tropical Cyclone (Wikipedia)
WikipediaWikipedia 'Tropical cyclone', Formation section
On a worldwide scale, May is the least active month, while September is the most active month.
Wikipedia 'Tropical cyclone', lead section
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls.
Wikipedia 'Tropical cyclone', lead section (scale sentence)
Tropical cyclones are typically between 100 and 2,000 km (62 and 1,243 mi) in diameter.
Wikipedia 'Tropical cyclone', lead section (distinguishing-appearance sentence)
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls.
View the Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrated By: MarineView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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