CYCLONE & ANTICYCLONE

The term cyclone, in common use, is sometimes applied to a tornado. In the science of
meteorology, however, the term has a different meaning. For meteorologists, a cyclone - and
its counterpart, an anticyclone - is a large-scale system of air circulation in the atmosphere in
the zones between the equator and either of the poles. It can be considered as either
producing or resulting from differences in air pressure in those zones, thus causing
atmospheric disturbances. In a cyclone the central air pressure is lower than that of the
surrounding environment, and the flow of circulation is clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
and counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Cyclones are also characterized by low-
level convergence and ascending air within the system. Cyclones usually exhibit nearly circular
isobars. If isobars are oblong or elongate with the lowest pressure near the centre, we call
them troughs. As air enters an area of low pressure from all directions, the Coriolis effect
bends the direction of the wind to the right of its path. This creates a counter-clockwise
rotation around the low and convergence near the centre of the system. As the air collides
near the centre it is forced aloft where divergence takes air away from the centre of the
system. The upper-level divergence is necessary for the system to be maintained as an area
of low pressure. Without the divergence, the system would fill with air and the horizontal
pressure differences would be equalized causing the system to dissipate. Their shape may
vary from V shape to Circular. Under the influence of Gale Force they are known as cyclonic
storm.

Fig.1.1: Circulation within a low-pressure system Fig.1.2: Circulation within a high-pressure

system in the Northern Hemisphere in the Northern Hemisphere

Cyclones exhibit noteworthy phenomena which can have adverse impact on life and
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property, while sometimes it has favourable impact on the environment. Very often it has
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been observed that it brings destructive winds and heavy rainfall causing floods.
Because the Coriolis effect works in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere,
circulation around lows are clockwise and inward toward the centre at the surface and highs
exhibit a diverging, counter-clockwise rotation. You can see this effect in the cloud pattern
created by a cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere.

Types of Cyclones

(i) Extra Tropical Cyclones:

The systems developing in the mid and high latitude,

beyond the tropics are called the middle latitude or
extra tropical cyclones. The passage of front causes
abrupt changes in the weather conditions over the
area in the middle and high latitudes. Extra tropical
cyclones form along the polar front. Initially, the front
is stationary. In the northern hemisphere, warm air
blows from the south and cold air from the north of
the front. When the pressure drops along the front, the warm air moves northwards and the
cold air move towards, south setting in motion an anticlockwise cyclonic circulation. The
cyclonic circulation leads to a well-developed extra tropical cyclone, with a warm front and a
cold front. There are pockets of warm air or warm sector wedged between the forward and
the rear cold air or cold sector. The warm air glides over the cold air and a sequence of clouds
appear over the sky ahead of the warm front and cause precipitation. The cold front
approaches the warm air from behind and pushes the warm air up. As a result, cumulus clouds
develop along the cold front. The cold front moves faster than the warm front ultimately
overtaking the warm front. The warm air is completely lifted and the front is occluded, and
the cyclone dissipates.

(ii) Tropical Cyclones:

Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move
over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction caused by violent winds, very
heavy rainfall and storm surges. This is one of the most devastating natural calamities. They
are known as Cyclones in the Indian Ocean, Hurricanes in the Atlantic, Typhoons in the
Western Pacific and South China Sea, and Willy-willies in the Western Australia. Tropical
cyclones originate and intensify over warm tropical oceans.
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The favourable conditions for the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones are:
(i) Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C.
(ii) Presence of the Coriolis force.
(iii) Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
(iv) A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.
(v) Upper divergence above the sea level system.

The energy that intensifies the storm, comes from the condensation process in the towering
cumulonimbus clouds, surrounding the centre of the storm. With continuous supply of
moisture from the sea, the storm is further strengthened. On reaching the land the moisture
supply is cut off and the storm dissipates. The place where a tropical cyclone crosses the coast
is called the landfall of the cyclone. The cyclones, which cross 200 N latitude generally, recurve
and they are more destructive.

Fig. 2: Cyclones (Mechanism)

A mature tropical cyclone is characterised by the strong spirally circulating wind around the
centre, called the eye. The diameter of the circulating system can vary between 150 and 250
km. The eye is a region of calm with subsiding air. Around the eye is the eye wall, where there
is a strong spiralling ascent of air to greater height reaching the tropopause. The wind reaches
maximum velocity in this region, reaching as high as 250 km per hour. Torrential rain occurs
here. From the eye wall rain bands may radiate and trains of cumulus and cumulonimbus
clouds may drift into the outer region. The diameter of the storm over the Bay of Bengal,
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Arabian sea and Indian ocean is between 600 - 1200 km. The system moves slowly about 300
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- 500 km per day. The cyclone creates storm surges and they inundate the coastal lowlands.
The storm peters out on the land.

(iii) Thunderstorms and Tornadoes:

The terminology associated with tropical cyclones can be confusing, because people call
these dangerous storms by different names in different parts of the world. In the North
Atlantic and Caribbean as well as the north-eastern Pacific, they go by “hurricane.” In the
Northwest Pacific – the most active tropical-cyclone basin in the world - they’re “typhoons,”
while in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific they’re simply “tropical cyclones” or “cyclones.”
Tornadoes – much smaller and more localized than tropical cyclones, and capable of
generating even higher wind speeds - are occasionally colloquially called “cyclones,” though
they’re completely different storms.
They are of short duration, occurring over a small area but are violent. Thunderstorms are
caused by intense convection on moist hot days. A thunderstorm is a well-grown
cumulonimbus cloud producing thunder and lightning. A thunderstorm is characterized by
intense updraft of rising warm air, which causes the clouds to grow bigger and rise to greater
heights. This causes precipitation. Tornadoes generally occur in middle latitudes. The
tornado over the sea is called water sprout.
(iv) Mesocyclones:
A mesocyclone is a dense, swirling pack of cloud and winds between half a mile to six miles
wide. To the eye, it looks like a thin, vertical band of black clouds that spins from beneath
thunderclouds. A mesocyclone turns into a tornado if it hits the ground and continues to
churn up wet, warm air.
Especially strong thunderstorms called supercell thunderstorms - which generate by far
most of the world’s strongest tornadoes – exhibit spinning updrafts called mesocyclones.
Rotating “wall clouds” may descend from mesocyclones and ultimately form a funnel cloud,
which, if it contacts the ground, becomes a tornado. The United States experiences
approximately 1,700 mesocyclones a year, with roughly 50 percent of these turning into
tornadoes.
(v) Polar or Arctic Cyclones:
Arctic or polar cyclones occur in Antarctic regions and can reach up to 1,200 miles wide.
Polar cyclones differ with others because they are not seasonal. They can occur at any time
of the year, unlike in the Gulf of Mexico when during late summer, the risk of a hurricane
increases.
Hurricane-like cyclones called “polar lows” occasionally form over Arctic and Antarctic seas,
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sparked by frigid air moving over somewhat warmer ocean waters. In the Northern
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Hemisphere, meteorologists sometimes call polar lows “Arctic hurricanes” because both
their energy source – heat transfer from water to air and latent heat released by cloud
condensation – as well as their spiralled cloud bands are somewhat similar to a tropical
cyclone’s. Polar lows often form quickly, sometimes in less than 24 hours, and can be
difficult to forecast.

Difference between Extra Tropical and Tropical Cyclones

The processes of wind circulation both at the surface and aloft are closely interlinked. The
extra tropical cyclone differs from the tropical cyclone in number of ways. The extra tropical
cyclones have a clear frontal system which is not present in the tropical cyclones. They cover
a larger area and can originate over the land and sea. Whereas the tropical cyclones originate
only over the seas and on reaching the land they dissipate. The extra tropical cyclone affects
a much larger area as compared to the tropical cyclone. The wind velocity in a tropical cyclone
is much higher and it is more destructive. The extra tropical cyclones move from west to east
but tropical cyclones, move from east to west.

Vulnerability Assessment of Cyclones

Tropical cyclones, and the torrential rains and strong winds these storms bring along with
them, threaten coastal communities around the world and are expected to increase in
intensity due to climate change. But not every tropical cyclone becomes a natural disaster
and not every natural disaster result in human fatalities. Whether or not a natural hazard,
such as a tropical cyclone, becomes a natural disaster depends on whether the hazard
overwhelms existing human infrastructure in a country or region. The cyclonic hazards may
turn into disasters, so the vulnerability of the people and their means of livelihood and the
fragility of infrastructure is most important aspect of study cyclones. When looking into the
causes of these changes, the scientists could not attribute them entirely to natural climate
patterns in the region. “This provides evidence that human-caused climate change is
influencing these changes in tropical cyclones,”

The Indian Sub-continent is the worst affected part in the world as far as loss of lives is
concerned though more severe cyclones do occur in other parts of the world and financial
losses are much more elsewhere. High population density, comparatively better employment
opportunities and economic compulsions force people to occupy areas which are susceptible
to cyclones, saline ingress and flooding. Inadequacy of infrastructure adds to their
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vulnerability. On many occasions people are not even aware of the risks involved. The
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frequent disasters nullify the development of several years and turn the clock back for these
vulnerable families. In areas where tropical cyclones haven’t occurred regularly-or at all-in
the past, people are unlikely to be prepared for their impacts. So, the effects on infrastructure,
property, and lives could be even more devastating.

The impact of cyclones can be felt anywhere, however coastal area is the most affected area.
‘Coastal ecosystem’ includes estuaries and coastal waters and lands located at the lower end
of drainage basins, where streams and river systems meet the sea and are mixed by tides. The
coastal ecosystem includes saline, brackish (mixed saline and fresh) and fresh waters, as well
as coastlines and the adjacent lands. All these water and landforms interact as integrated
ecological units. Shore-lands, dunes, sandbars, offshore islands, headlands, and freshwater
wetlands within estuarine drainages are included in the definition since these interrelated
features are crucial to coastal fish, wildlife and their habitats. Mangroves are located all along
estuarine areas, deltas, tidal creeks, mud flats, salt marshes and extend over 4871 sq. km
(about 7% of world’s mangrove areas).

Impact of global warming-induced sea level rise due to thermal expansion is more
pronounced in the Bay of Bengal due to the shallowness of the waters. The entire coastal
ecosystem in general and the eastern coast are highly vulnerable due to flat and low terrain,
high population density, over-exploitation of natural resources, high rate of environmental
degradation on account of pollution and non-sustainable development.

ANTICYCLONES

An anticyclone system has characteristics opposite to that of a cyclone. That is, an

anticyclone's central air pressure is higher than that of its surroundings, and the airflow is
counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
Anticyclones are usually characterized by low-level divergence and subsiding air. Anticyclones
are defined as the high-pressure systems with highest pressure at the centre relative to the
surroundings and decreases outward.

The high pressure at the centre pushes surface air outward, causing air to descend from
above. Since descending air warms adiabatically, condensation does not occur, and sky
remains clear. Because of these characteristics, anticyclones are sometimes termed as fair-
weather systems. The pressure gradient is weak towards the centre of an anticyclone and
winds are light and variable. The weather along the anticyclones is generally fair. These rarely
bring rainfall.
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Anticyclones are of two types:

(i) Stationary and
(ii) Travelling.

Anticyclones play much less important a role in the weather-modifications at the surface of
the earth in comparison with cyclones. Since anticyclones produce clear conditions and are
almost weather-less, no serious study has been conducted on their development. There is a
common feeling that anticyclones are always associated with fine weather. But this is not
always the case. There are certain conditions when cumuliform c louds form within an
anticyclone which produce abundant rainfall or snowfall.

Sometimes, when anticyclones remain over a region for several days and become stagnant,
they assume greater importance to man as he tries to tackle the problem of air pollution.
Large anticyclones quite often block the eastward moving cyclones. The middle-latitude
anticyclones on several occasions bring severe cold waves which are serious climatic hazard
to various human and economic activities. In all the latitudes, the location and the energy of
anticyclones form one of the most important factors in weather forecasting. However, all the
important anticyclones are found over the oceans in the vicinity of 30° north and 30° south
latitudes in the form of semi-permanent high-pressure cells.

Fig. 3: Anticyclones 18
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Characteristics of Anticyclones:

• High pressure systems

• Just air masses with temperature and moisture varying slightly over large area
• Clear, calm, pretty dry
• Blob-like, with small pressure gradients and slower winds
• Generally boring weather - clear, calm
• Linger for a while, but can be nice
• Trap air near surface (sinking motion)
• Blob-like air masses
• Air mass stays long can take on characteristics of land it is over

Fig. 2: Anticyclones (Mechanism)

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