Tropical Storms

Tropical Revolving Storm is a

cyclonic disturbance originating
in the tropics.
It involves strong convection,
frequently extending from the
surface to the tropopause
Characteristics:

 smaller size than temperate depressions;

 nearly circular isobars
 no fronts
 very steep pressure gradient
 great intensity;
Description

 Wind speed Beaufort force

 Tropical depression <= 33 kts <= 7

 Moderate tropical storm34 - 47 kts 8 and 9

 Severe tropical storm 48 - 63 kts 10 and

11
 Hurricane or synonym >64 kts 12
Synonyms:

 Cyclone Indian Ocean.

 Hurricane North Atlantic, Caribbean, central
and east North Pacific, and South Pacific.
 Typhoon Western North Pacific and South
China Sea.
 Extreme values of elements:
 Pressure 870 hPa
 Rainfall 95 mm/h
 Storm surge 13 m. (Sea level rise due to low
atmospheric pressure, wind and shallow water)
 Wind speed 185 kts
 Wave height 34 metres
 Size Approximate radius of gale force winds,
minimum 30 NM, maximum 600 NM
 Duration 31 days
 Tropical storms are potentially capable of
overwhelming the largest and most
seaworthy vessels and should be avoided if at
all possible.
 The area of greatest danger is the eye where
sea waves are both extremely high and
approach from all directions
Conditions for formation

 Considerable energy is required for the

formation and development of a tropical
revolving storm.
 This is derived from energy contained in
water vapour and particularly latent heat
released by condensation
 The following conditions are required:
 Sea temperature greater than 26°C over a large area raising air temperature and
humidity.
 Atmospheric instability due to high Environment Lapse Rate.
 Instability accentuated by high humidity increasing Saturated Adiabatic Lapse
Rate.
 Latitude greater than 5° where the Coriolis Force is sufficient to provide vorticity,
cyclonic circulation.
 Low wind shear (change of wind speed with altitude) in the troposhere permitting
vertical development.
 Conditions permitting divergence of airflow at altitude, removing air from the area
and reducing atmospheric pressure.
 A tropical disturbance to initiate the process. This is likely to be convection
associated with an easterly wave, the InterTropical Convergence Zone.
Tropical Revolving Storm areas and
seasons
  Areas of tropical revolving storm genesis are
in approximately 10° latitude in the warmest
areas of the oceans.
 These, with months of highest occurrence
and average annual frequency, are:
 North Atlantic August - October 9
 North Indian Ocean May - June, October - November
6
 North Pacific West July - October 26
 North Pacific East August - September 13
 South Atlantic One Tropical Revolving Storm has
been recorded, in March 2004.
 South Indian Ocean West January - March 8
 South Indian Ocean EastJanuary - March 10
 South Pacific West January - March 6 Global total 79
Movement

  Tropical revolving storms move approximately with

the flow of air in the troposphere in their vicinity.
 A high proportion of storms move around the
oceanic anticyclone into higher latitudes.
 Others move westward with a degree of poleward
movement.
 Movement may be highly erratic within the broad
pattern.
 Speed varies from approximately 10 kts near the
equator to 25 knots in higher latitudes
 Avoidance of Tropical Revolving Storms
Warning messages

 Comprehensive warnings are broadcast by radio

and telex of known storms and these sources
should be closely monitored when navigating in
areas prone to Tropical Revolving Storms in the
appropriate seasons.
 GMDSS radio installations receive navigation
warnings, including Tropical Revolving Storm
warnings, automatically.
 Other sources are listed in the Admiralty List of
Radio Signals, Volume III, and similar publications.
Detection

 Not all storms are detected by shore based

meteorological services, and shipboard
instruments and observation of
meteorological phenomena should be used
to detect the presence of a Tropical Revolving
Storm.
Swell

In open waters, with no intervening land, a

swell generated by the high seas within a
Tropical Revolving Storm may be the earliest
warning of a storm.
 The swell approaches from the direction of
the storm.
Atmospheric pressure.
  In the tropics the diurnal variation of atmospheric
pressure is marked and a normal feature.
 Falling pressure in the area affected by a Tropical
Revolving Storm initially damps the diurnal variation,
and the disappearance of this feature is an early
warning sign of Tropical Revolving Storm development.
 A barograph trace indicates this clearly.
 In the absence of a barograph atmospheric pressure
should be noted at hourly intervals and the changes
observed.
 Then, comparing the seasonal average with
the corrected pressure:
 A fall of 3 hPa below the seasonal average for
the area indicates the probable development
of a Tropical Revolving Storm in the vicinity.
 A fall of 5 hPa below the seasonal average for
the area indicates the presence of a Tropical
Revolving Storm, probably within 200 NM.
 
Decreasing atmospheric
pressure indicates the
approach of a Tropical
Revolving Storm.
Wind

  Wind direction and speed is generally fairly

constant in the tropics.
 Variation from the normal direction for the
area and season, and increasing wind speed,
are indications of the approach of a Tropical
Revolving Storm.
Clouds

  Vivid colouring of the sky at sunrise and

sunset may be a precursor of a Tropical
Revolving Storm.
 Cirrus clouds increasing in density may be
visible 300 to 600 NM from the storm and are
followed by lower clouds increasing in
coverage as it approaches.
Visibility

  Exceptionally good visibility frequently exists

in the vicinity of a Tropical Revolving Storm.
Radar

  Radar is capable of detecting the

precipitation of a Tropical Revolving Storm.
 The range is limited and other signs will
probably be manifest before the storm is
within radar range.
Reporting

 The Master is required by SOLAS Chapter V

Regulation 31 to inform the nearest authority
and shipping in the vicinity if winds of
Beaufort force 10 and above are encountered
and no storm warning has been received.
 Similar warnings are required if the presence
of a Tropical Revolving Storm is suspected or
established.
The message should include:
 A statement of the presence of a Tropical Revolving
Storm or storm force wind
 Date and time UT
 Position of vessel
 Barometric pressure corrected to sea level
 Barometric tendency
 True wind direction
 Wind force Beaufort
 Sea state
 Swell direction, height and period
 Vessel’s course and speed
 Subsequently similar messages should be
transmitted at hourly intervals if possible, not
greater than three hourly intervals, while the
vessel is in the vicinity of the storm.
Weather Conditions
From the annular zone to the eye wall:

 Pressure decreases.
 Wind speed increases.
 Angle of Indraft decreases.
 Sea wave height increases.
 Swell wave direction is from wind field near
eye.
 Swell wave height increases.
 Cloud cover is total.
 Precipitation increases in intensity.
In the eye

Pressure steadies.
 Wind speed may be low or calm.
 Sea waves may be low.
 Swell waves are extremely high and moving
in all directions.
 Cloud cover may be absent.
 Precipitation may be absent.
From the eye wall to the annular zone

 Pressure increases.
 Wind speed immediately rises to maximum, then
decreases.
 Wind direction is opposite to the original.
 Angle of Indraft is zero then increases.
 Sea wave height is maximum, then decreases.
 Swell wave direction is from opposite wind field near
eye.
 Swell wave height decreases.
 Cloud cover is total.
 Precipitation is intense then decreases.
Avoidance N. Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Features of a Tropical Revolving Storm

 The Track is the historical route the storm has

followed.
 The Path is the route the storm is forecast to
follow.
 The Trough Line is a line through the centre
at right angles to the path.
 The Vortex is the eye of the storm.
 The Vertex is the westerly extremity of the
path when the storm recurves
 The Dangerous Quadrant is the Advance
Right Quadrant of the storm in the Northern
Hemisphere, and the Advance Left Quadrant
in the Southern Hemisphere.
 This is because:
 
 The storm is likely to recurve in this direction.
 Winds tend to drive the vessel into the Path of the
storm.
 Sea waves running toward the Path hamper movement
away from the Path.
 The cross swell from the vicinity of the Trough Line
running across the sea waves is likely to be more severe
in this quadrant.
 Wave heights are likely to be higher in this area.
 The navigable Semicircle is the Left
Semicircle in the Northern Hemisphere, and
the Right Semicircle in the Southern
Hemisphere.
 The storm is unlikely to move into this area.
 Winds tend to drive the vessel out of the path
of the storm in the advance quadrant.
Establishing the vessel's position
relative to the storm
 . The vessel should heave to so that the
vessel's movement does not modify changes
in the elements that will then be due to the
storm’s movement.
The direction of the vortex

 Buys-Ballots law together with the angle of

indraft is used to establish the direction of
the centre of the storm.
 
 Face the wind.
 Low pressure lies on the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and on the left in the Southern
Hemisphere.
The distance of the vortex

 In the absence of other information, assume

that the centre is approximately 200 NM
away if the pressure has fallen 5 hPa and the
wind is approximately Force 6,
 and approximately 100 NM away if the wind
is Force 8.
 Actions to avoid the worst effects of the
storm.
 
Northern Hemisphere

 Dangerous Quadrant
 Steer a course with the wind ahead or on the
starboard bow and proceed at maximum
practicable speed.
 Alter course as the wind veers.
 (From a position close to the Path it may be
practicable to cross the path into the
Navigable Semicircle as below.)
In the Path

 Steer a course with the wind on the starboard

quarter and proceed with maximum
practicable speed into the navigable
semicircle.
Rear

 Heave to with the wind on the starboard bow

and allow the storm to move clear of the
intended course.
Danger sectors
 When reports of the storm's position and forecast
movement are available danger sectors may be plotted.
 The position of the storm is plotted.
 The forecast path is plotted.
 A sector is plotted centred on the position, 40° on
either side of the forecast path, radius the forecast
movement with an allowance for greater speed than
forecast.
 The vessel is manoeuvred to avoid the sector.
 The process is repeated with each forecast received.
The End