The Tropical Cyclones Portal
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center, a closed low-level circulation and a spiral arrangement of 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 fueled 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. Most tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums, approximately ten degrees from the Equator.
The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, as well as to 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 may be referred to by names such as "hurricane", "typhoon", "tropical storm", "cyclonic storm", "tropical depression" or simply "cyclone".
Types of cyclone: 1. A "Typhoon" is a tropical cyclone located in the North-west Pacific Ocean which has the most cyclonic activity and storms occur year-round. 2. A "Hurricane" is also a tropical cyclone located at the North Atlantic Ocean or North-east Pacific Ocean which have an average storm activity and storms typically form between May 15 and November 30. 3. A "Cyclone" is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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Cyclone Mahina was the deadliest cyclone in recorded Australian history, and also potentially the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. Mahina struck Bathurst Bay, Cape York Peninsula, colonial Queensland, on 4 March 1899, and its winds and enormous storm surge combined to kill more than 300 people.
While the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, which is the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre of the basin, estimates Mahina's peak central pressure to be 914 hPa (26.99 inHg), the World Meteorological Organization is currently considering an application from Queensland scientists and researchers to have this value upgraded to 880 hPa (25.99 inHg), based on data from post-storm analysis. This would officially make Mahina the most intense cyclone recorded to have hit the Australian mainland, and the most intense tropical cyclone recorded making landfall anywhere in the world, as well as the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, a title currently held by Cyclone Winston. Cyclone Mahina also produced the largest storm surge on record, generating a 13-metre-high (43-foot) surge. (Full article...)Selected article -
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The 2020 Pacific hurricane season was a near average Pacific hurricane season in terms of named storms, featuring 17 (including one unnamed tropical storm which was operationally classified as a tropical depression), but well below average season for hurricanes and major hurricanes, with only 4 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes forming. Additionally, no tropical cyclones formed in the Central Pacific basin for the first time since 2017. The season officially began on May 15 in the East Pacific Ocean (east of 140°W), and on June 1 in the Central Pacific (from 140°W to the International Date Line, north of the equator; they both ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the respective regions. However, the formation of tropical cyclones is possible at any time of the year, as illustrated in 2020 by the formation of the season's first system, Tropical Depression One-E, on April 25. This was the earliest formation of a tropical cyclone on record in the eastern Pacific basin proper. The final system of the season was Tropical Storm Polo, which dissipated on November 19.
The most significant storms of the season were Tropical Storm Amanda and Hurricane Genevieve. Amanda developed near Central America in late May and struck Guatemala, causing widespread damage in neighboring El Salvador and killing 40 people amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the latter country. Genevieve passed closely to the tip of the Baja California Peninsula in August, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall, killing six and causing an estimated $50 million in damage. Otherwise, impact from other storms was minimal. In late July, Hurricane Douglas made an extremely close pass to Hawaii, with its weak southern eyewall crossing Oahu, causing minor effects. The remnant moisture of Tropical Storm Fausto brought dry thunderstorms and lightning to Northern California, sparking hundreds of fires that contributed to the state's worst fire season in recorded history, and the remnants of Genevieve dropped heavy rainfall in Arizona and Southern California. Tropical Storm Hernan moved very near the coast of southwestern Mexico, causing an additional fatality and several millions of dollars worth of damage. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of this season caused about US$267.91 million in damage and 47 deaths.
(Full article...)Related portals
Currently active tropical cyclones
Italicized basins are unofficial.
- East and Central Pacific (2024)
- No active systems
- Mediterranean (2024–25)
- No active systems
- South-West Indian Ocean (2024–25)
- No active systems
- Australian region (2024–25)
- No active systems
- South Pacific (2024–25)
- No active systems
- South Atlantic (2024–25)
- No active systems
Last updated: 22:40, 15 September 2024 (UTC)
Tropical cyclone anniversaries
September 14,
- 1988 - Hurricane Gilbert reached its peak intensity with a central pressure of 888 hPa (mbar) to the south of the Cayman Islands. Gilbert killed over 300 people throughout the Caribbean.
- 2007 - After landfall, Hurricane Humberto rapidly diminishes after causing $50 million damages over Texas.
- 2014 - Hurricane Odile (pictured) reaches its peak intensity as a intense Category 4 just before making landfall in Baja California as it damaged a total of $1.22 billion.
September 15,
- 1995 - Hurricane Ismael made landfall in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico as a minimal hurricane. Ismael killed 116 people and caused $26 million of damage.
- 2006 - Typhoon Shanshan (pictured) reaches its peak intensity with 10-minute winds of 205 km/h (125 mph) and a minimum pressure of 919 hPa. Shanshan killed 11 people and caused $2.5 billion in South Korea and Japan.
September 16,
- 1928 - The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane made landfall in Florida with a central pressure of 929 hPa (mbar). Over 2,500 people were killed in Florida, mostly in the Lake Okeechobee area.
- 1999 - Hurricane Floyd makes landfall over in North Carolina after causing about $6.9 billion in the Bahamas.
- 2013 - Typhoon Man-yi (pictured) makes landfall over in Japan. The JTWC only classified it as a tropical storm, though.
Did you know…
- …that the Joint Typhoon Warning Center considers that Typhoon Vera (pictured) of 1986 is actually two distinct systems, formed from two separated low-level circulations?
- …that Cyclone Freddy (track pictured) in 2023 was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone worldwide?
- …that Cyclone Raquel (track pictured) travelled between the Australian and South Pacific basins between the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, spanning both seasons in both basins?
- …that Hurricane Otis (pictured) in 2023 was the first Pacific hurricane to make landfall at Category 5 intensity and surpassed Hurricane Patricia as the strongest landfalling Pacific hurricane on record?
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The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record in terms of number of named storms. Additionally, it was an above-average season for tropical cyclones for the fifth consecutive year. The season officially began on June 1, 2020, and ended on November 30, 2020. These dates, adopted by convention, historically delimit the period each year when most Atlantic tropical systems form. However, storm formation is possible at any time of the year, as was the case this season, when its first two named storms, Tropical Storm Arthur and Tropical Storm Bertha, formed on May 16 and May 27, respectively. The final storm, Hurricane Iota, dissipated on November 18.
Altogether, the season produced 31 tropical or subtropical cyclones, all but one of which became a named storm. Of the 30 named storms, 14 became hurricanes, and seven further intensified into major hurricanes. It was the second and final season to use the Greek letter storm naming system, the first being 2005. Hurricane Laura produced catastrophic storm surge levels, heavy rainfall, and spawned over a dozen tornadoes after striking Louisiana on August 27 with winds of 150 mph (240 km/h). The storm was responsible for 81 deaths and it caused over US$19 billion in damage across the Greater Antilles and the Southern United States. Causing significant late-season loss of life and widespread destruction were November hurricanes Eta and Iota, which made landfall in Central America as Category 4 storms just two weeks apart. The storms left a toll of 184 deaths and 110 missing across the region, and thousands of families lost their homes and livelihoods. In March 2021, the names Laura, Eta and Iota were retired from reuse in the North Atlantic by the World Meteorological Organization due to the extraordinary amount of damage and number of fatalities they caused. (Full article...)Topics
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Related WikiProjects
WikiProject Tropical cyclones is the central point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of tropical cyclones. Feel free to help!
WikiProject Weather is the main center point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of meteorology in general, and the parent project of WikiProject Tropical cyclones. Three other branches of WikiProject Weather in particular share significant overlaps with WikiProject Tropical cyclones:
- The Non-tropical storms task force coordinates most of Wikipedia's coverage on extratropical cyclones, which tropical cyclones often transition into near the end of their lifespan.
- The Floods task force takes on the scope of flooding events all over the world, with rainfall from tropical cyclones a significant factor in many of them.
- WikiProject Severe weather documents the effects of extreme weather such as tornadoes, which landfalling tropical cyclones can produce.
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