What is Cyclone?

In meteorology, the term cyclone is defined as

A system of winds that are rotating inwards to an area of low barometric pressure, such
that in the Northern Hemisphere it is anticlockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere it is
clockwise circulation.

Cyclones are formed with an enormous amount of energy from the ocean to the
atmosphere. According to studies, every year there are 70 to 90 cyclonic systems
developed across the globe. The surface winds get spiralled towards the low-pressure
system due to the Coriolis force. The cyclonic systems are not formed in the equatorial
regions because the Coriolis force is negligible between the latitudes 5 degrees north
and 5 degrees south.

Other Names of Cyclone

The cyclone is known to have different names in different regions of the world, and they
are:

Region Other names for cyclone

Caribbean sea Hurricanes

China sea Typhoons

Indian ocean Tropical cyclones

 Japan Taifu

Northern Australia Wily willies

Philippines Baguio

USA Tornadoes

How are Cyclones Formed?

The formation of cyclones takes place in low-pressure areas. The vulnerability of the
place where the cyclone strikes depend on the topography, intensity and frequency of
the cyclone.

There are 6 factors that can be held responsible for the formation of the cyclone:

● Ample amount of warm temperature at the surface of the sea.

● Instability in the atmosphere.
● How the Coriolis force is impacting the area so that low-pressure area can be created.
● When the humidity is high in the lower to middle levels of the troposphere.
● Disturbance in the pre-existing low-level area.
● When the vertical wind shear is low.

A cyclone is formed when the warm, moist air rises upward over the ocean. As this air moves
up, there is a formation of a low-pressure area below.
Now the low-pressure area is filled with the high-pressure air from the surroundings. Again, the
next batch of cool air gets warm and moist over the ocean moving upward. This once again
results in the formation of a low-pressure area. The cycle continues.
This continuous cycle results in the formation of clouds in the air. More clouds are formed as the
water from the ocean evaporates.
This leads to the formation of the storm system. As the storm system rotates faster, an eye is
formed in the centre. The eye of the storm is considered to be the calm and clear part. The air
pressure in the eye of the storm is low.
What are the Types of Cyclones?
Depending on the strength of the winds produced, the cyclones are divided into different classes
There are 4 types of cyclones and they are:

● Tropical cyclone
● Polar cyclone
● Mesocyclone
● Extratropical cyclone

Tropical Cyclone

The regions where the tropical cyclone occurs are over the tropical ocean. Hurricanes
and typhoons are the two types of tropical cyclone. Atlantic and Northeast Pacific are
the regions where hurricanes are found. Whereas, in the Northwest Pacific, typhoons
are found. A tropical cyclone is divided into 5 categories depending on the intensity and
the wind speed.

Tropical cyclones are also called hurricanes or typhoons, depending on the

region. A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm that begins over
tropical oceans, and they can vary in speed, size, and intensity. Tropical
cyclones are the second-most dangerous natural hazards, after
earthquakes.

Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water. They derive
their energy through the evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately
condenses into clouds and rain when moist air rises and cools to saturation. This
energy source differs from that of mid-latitude cyclonic storms, such as nor'easters and
European windstorms, which are powered primarily by horizontal temperature contrasts.
Tropical cyclones are typically between 100 and 2,000 km (62 and 1,243 mi) in
diameter.
The strong rotating winds of a tropical cyclone are a result of the conservation of
angular momentum imparted by the Earth's rotation as air flows inwards toward the axis
of rotation. As a result, cyclones rarely form within 5° of the equator.

Heat energy from the ocean acts as the accelerator for tropical cyclones. Tropical
cyclones tend to develop during the summer, but have been noted in nearly every
month in most tropical cyclone basins. Tropical cyclones on either side of the Equator
generally have their origins in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where winds blow
[6]
from either the northeast or southeast. Within this broad area of low-pressure, air is
heated over the warm tropical ocean and rises in discrete parcels, which causes
[6]
thundery showers to form. These showers dissipate quite quickly; however, they can
[6]
group together into large clusters of thunderstorms. This creates a flow of warm,
moist, rapidly rising air, which starts to rotate cyclonically as it interacts with the rotation
[6]
of the earth.

Each year on average, around 80 to 90 named tropical cyclones form around the world,
of which over half develop hurricane-force winds of 65 kn (120 km/h; 75 mph) or
[1]
more. Worldwide, tropical cyclone activity peaks in late summer, when the difference
between temperatures aloft and sea surface temperatures is the greatest. However,
each particular basin has its own seasonal patterns. On a worldwide scale, May is the
least active month, while September is the most active month. November is the only
[25]
month in which all the tropical cyclone basins are in season.

In the Northern Atlantic Ocean, a distinct cyclone season occurs from June 1 to
[25]
November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. The statistical
[26]
peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10.

The Northeast Pacific Ocean has a broader period of activity, but in a similar time frame
[26]
to the Atlantic. The Northwest Pacific sees tropical cyclones year-round, with a
[25]
minimum in February and March and a peak in early September. In the North Indian
basin, storms are most common from April to December, with peaks in May and
[25]
November. In the Southern Hemisphere, the tropical cyclone year begins on July 1
and runs all year-round encompassing the tropical cyclone seasons, which run from
[25][23]
November 1 until the end of April, with peaks in mid-February to early March.

Of various modes of variability in the climate system, El Niño–Southern Oscillation has

[27]
the largest effect on tropical cyclone activity. Most tropical cyclones form on the side
of the subtropical ridge closer to the equator, then move poleward past the ridge axis
[28]
before recurving into the main belt of the Westerlies. When the subtropical ridge
position shifts due to El Niño, so will the preferred tropical cyclone tracks. Areas west of
Japan and Korea tend to experience much fewer September–November tropical
cyclone impacts during El Niño and neutral years.

Extratropical Cyclone

The cyclones that are formed in the middle latitudes along the frontal boundaries are
either known as extratropical cyclones or mid-latitude cyclones. The winds of the
extratropical cyclone are weaker however, the temperature gradients are sharp. The
nor’easter is an example of an extratropical cyclone that impacts the east coast of the
United States.

Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones,

are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive
the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of producing
anything from cloudiness and mild showers to severe hail, thunderstorms, blizzards,
and tornadoes. These types of cyclones are defined as large scale (synoptic) low
pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth. In contrast
with tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones produce rapid changes in temperature and
 [1]
dew point along broad lines, called weather fronts, about the center of the cyclone.
Extratropical cyclones form anywhere within the extratropical regions of the Earth
(usually between 30° and 60° latitude from the equator), either through cyclogenesis or
extratropical transition.