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
Purge cache to show recent changes
Selected article
Typhoon Paka (international designation: 9728, JTWC designation: 05C, PAGASA designation: Rubing, also known as Super Typhoon Paka) was the last tropical cyclone in the 1997 Pacific hurricane and typhoon season, and was among the strongest Pacific typhoons in the month of December. Paka, which is the Hawaiian name for Pat, developed on November 28 in the central Pacific Ocean from a trough near the equator well to the southwest of Hawaii. After initially tracking northward, the storm turned to the west due to a strong high pressure area to its north, and on December 7 it crossed into the western Pacific Ocean. The cyclone intensified into a typhoon as it crossed the Marshall Islands on December 10, and continuing to intensify Paka struck Guam and Rota on December 16 with winds of 230 km/h (145 mph). The typhoon strengthened further and reached its peak intensity by December 18 over open waters. Subsequently it underwent a steady weakening trend, and on December 23 Paka dissipated.
Typhoon Paka first impacted the Marshall Islands, where it dropped heavy rainfall and resulted in $80 million in damage (1997 USD, $100 million 2007 USD). Later, it passed just north of Guam, where strong winds destroyed about 1,500 buildings and damaged 10,000 more; 5,000 people were left homeless, and the island experienced a complete power outage following the typhoon. Damage on the island totaled $500 million (1997 USD, $645 million 2007 USD), which warranted the retirement of its name. Paka also caused light damage in the Northern Marianas Islands. The typhoon resulted in no fatalities.
Recently featured: 1996 Pacific hurricane season – Hurricane Audrey – Hurricane Nicole (1998) – Hurricane Sergio (2006) – Typhoon Matsa – Browse
Selected picture
Tropical Storm Allison over Mississippi as a Subtropical Storm on June 11, 2001. Despite the eye feature, Allison only has winds of 45 mph. The picture is a radar reflectivity image from Mobile, Alabama.
Related WikiProjects
WikiProject Tropical cyclones is the central point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of tropical cyclones. Feel free to help!
WikiProject Meteorology is the main center point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of meteorology in general.
Categories
Related Portals
Currently active tropical cyclones
- No active systems
- No active systems
- No active systems
- No active systems
South-West Indian Ocean (2015–16)
- No active systems
- No active systems
- No active systems
Did you know…
- … that Hurricane Faith (pictured) was tracked until it was located 600 miles (965 km) from the North Pole?
- …that from the formation of the low that would become Cyclone Katrina and the dissipation of it as Cyclone Victor–Cindy passed 51 days? (track pictured)
- …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
- December 24, 1971 - Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea (track pictured) made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia causing $115 million of damage.
- December 25, 1974 - Cyclone Tracy (pictured) made landfall and passed directly over the city of Darwin, Australia. Tracy killed 71 people and caused catastrophic damage in and around the city.
- December 26, 2001 - Tropical Storm Vamei (pictured) formed to the east of Singapore at a latitude of 1.4° north, becoming the closest-forming tropical cyclone to the Equator.
- December 27, 2004 - Cyclone Chambo (pictured) reached its peak intensity with 155 km/h (100 mph) winds in the open Indian Ocean.
- December 28, 2002 - Cyclone Zoe (pictured) reached its peak intensity with a central pressure of 890 hPa (mbar), becoming the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.
Things you can do
|
|
Here are some tasks you can do:
|
- What are portals?
- List of portals
- Featured portals