Tropical Cyclones Portal
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rainfall. Tropical cyclones feed on the heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air. They are fuelled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such as nor'easters, European windstorms, and polar lows, leading to their classification as 'warm core' storm systems. Tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums near the Equator, approximately 10 degrees away.
The term 'tropical' refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, and their formation in maritime tropical air masses. The term 'cyclone' refers to such storms' cyclonic nature, with anticlockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on its location and intensity, a tropical cyclone can be referred to by names such as 'hurricane', 'typhoon', 'tropical storm', 'cyclonic storm', 'tropical depression', or simply 'cyclone'.
- Pictured: Typhoon Tip
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Tropical Storm Vamei (international designation: 0126, JTWC designation: 32W, sometimes called Typhoon Vamei; formerly had the alternate name Tropical Storm 05B) was the 26th named storm of the 2001 Pacific typhoon season. When it developed at 1.5° North, it earned the record for the storm that developed closest to the equator, breaking the record of Typhoon Sarah in 1956. In addition, Vamei became the only tropical cyclone in history to strike near Singapore when it hit the area in late December. Vamei crossed Indonesia and reformed in the North Indian Ocean, lasting until early the next year. The typhoon is named after a songbird with white feathers, popular to feeders in Macau.
Recently featured: Hurricane Lenny – List of California tropical cyclones – 2003 Pacific hurricane season – Browse
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Surrounding the eye of the hurricane is a ring of thunderstorms, called the eyewall. Rainbands surround the eye of the storm in concentric circles. In the eyewall and in the rainbands, warm, moist air rises, while in the eye and around the rainbands, air from higher in the atmosphere sinks back toward the surface. The rising air cools, and water vapor in the air condenses into rain. Sinking air warms and dries, creating a calm, cloud-free area in the eye.
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Did you know…
- … that Hurricane Faith (pictured) was tracked until it was located 600 miles (965 km) from the North Pole?
- …that Cyclone Katrina–Victor–Cindy (track pictured) was the only tropical cyclone to receive three official names?
- …that since 2011 the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center has assigned names to tropical and subtropical systems in the South Atlantic, when they have sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph)?
- …that, although being the second most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean basin in terms of atmospheric pressure, Cyclone Chris-Damia (pictured) never attained the highest categories in either Météo-France or Saffir–Simpson wind scales?
Tropical cyclone anniversaries
- November 3, 1997 - Tropical Storm Linda (pictured) made landfall on the northern Malay Peninsula. The storm brought heavy rain and killed a total of 330 people.
- November 4, 2001 - Hurricane Michelle (pictured) made landfall on western Cuba as a Category 4 hurricane causing about $1.8 billion of damage throughout the country.
- November 5, 1991 - Tropical Storm Thelma (pictured) made landfall on Samar in the Philippines. Thelma killed around 6,000 people throughout the Philippines.
- November 6, 1988 - Typhoon Skip reached its peak intensity with 230 km/h (145 mph) winds just to the east of the Philippines. Skip made landfall soon after that, killing about 100 people.
- November 7, 1984 - Hurricane Klaus (pictured) made landfall in extreme eastern Puerto Rico shortly before it reached its peak intensity. Klaus brought heavy rain to the island, exceeding 635 mm (25 in) at Guavate Camp.
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