Outline of tropical cyclones
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to tropical cyclones:
Tropical cyclone – storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such as nor'easters, European windstorms, and polar lows. The characteristic that separates tropical cyclones from other cyclonic systems is that at any height in the atmosphere, the center of a tropical cyclone will be warmer than its surroundings; a phenomenon called "warm core" storm systems.
Nature of tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones can be described as all of the following:
- Storm – disturbed state of an environment or astronomical body's atmosphere especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation (snowstorm, rainstorm), heavy freezing rain (ice storm), strong winds (tropical cyclone, windstorm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere such as sand or debris.
- Natural disaster – major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some economic damage in its wake, the severity of which depends on the affected population's resilience, or ability to recover.
Types of tropical cyclones
Cumulative graph of tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific
- Tropical cyclone –
- Subtropical cyclone –
- Extratropical cyclone (Can be a stage in a Tropical Cyclones life at the beginning or end but not a Tropical Cyclone) –
- Pacific hurricane –
- North Atlantic hurricane –
- Pacific typhoon –
- Mediterranean tropical cyclone –
- Annular hurricane –
- Cape Verde-type hurricane –
- Tropical wave –
Tropical cyclone observations
| Category | Wind speeds (for 1-minute maximum sustained winds) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| m/s | knots (kn) | mph | km/h | |
| Five | ≥ 70 m/s | ≥ 137 kn | ≥ 157 mph | ≥ 252 km/h |
| Four | 58–70 m/s | 113–136 kn | 130–156 mph | 209–251 km/h |
| Three | 50–58 m/s | 96–112 kn | 111–129 mph | 178–208 km/h |
| Two | 43–49 m/s | 83–95 kn | 96–110 mph | 154–177 km/h |
| One | 33–42 m/s | 64–82 kn | 74–95 mph | 119–153 km/h |
| Tropical storm | 18–32 m/s | 34–63 kn | 39–73 mph | 63–118 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical depression | ≤ 17 m/s | ≤ 33 kn | ≤ 38 mph | ≤ 62 km/h |
- Tropical cyclone scales –
- Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale –
- Accumulated cyclone energy –
- Hurricane Severity Index –
- Carvill Hurricane Index –
- Dvorak technique –
- Tropical cyclone naming –
Tropical cyclone history
Tropical cyclone seasons
- Atlantic hurricane season
- Pacific hurricane season
- Pacific typhoon season
- North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season
- South-West Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season
- Australian region tropical cyclone season
- South Pacific tropical cyclone season
- South Atlantic tropical cyclone
Specific tropical cyclones
- List of tropical cyclones
- Lists of tropical cyclone names
- List of named tropical cyclones
- List of unnamed tropical cyclones
- List of historic tropical cyclone names
- List of retired tropical cyclone names
- List of tropical cyclone records
- List of wettest tropical cyclones by country
- List of wettest tropical cyclones in the United States
- List of most intense tropical cyclones
- List of Atlantic hurricanes
- List of Atlantic–Pacific crossover hurricanes
- List of Pacific hurricanes
- List of retired Pacific hurricane names
- List of retired Pacific typhoon names (JMA)
- List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes
References
External links
- Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres
- US National Hurricane Center – North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific
- Central Pacific Hurricane Center – Central Pacific
- Japan Meteorological Agency – NW Pacific
- India Meteorological Department – Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea
- Japan Meteorological Agency – NW Pacific
- Météo-France – La Reunion – South Indian Ocean from 30°E to 90°E
- Fiji Meteorological Service – South Pacific west of 160°E, north of 25° S
- Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers
- Indonesian Meteorological Department – South Indian Ocean from 90°E to 125°E, north of 10°S
- Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC's Perth, Darwin & Brisbane). – South Indian Ocean & South Pacific Ocean from 90°E to 160°E, south of 10°S
- Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited – South Pacific west of 160°E, south of 25°S
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