Portal:Tropical cyclones

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The Tropical Cyclones Portal

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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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Tropical Cyclone Gene at its peak intensity

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gene was the deadliest storm as well as the most damaging tropical cyclone of the 2007–08 South Pacific cyclone season east of 160ºE. RSMC Nadi monitored Gene as the 12th tropical disturbance, as well as the fourth tropical cyclone and the third severe tropical cyclone to form west of 160ºE during the 2007–08 South Pacific cyclone season. Gene was also recognised by RSMC Nadi as the fifth tropical cyclone and fourth severe tropical cyclone to form within the South Pacific Ocean during the 2007-08 season.

On January 25, a tropical disturbance formed within the Fijian Archipelago and was designated as Tropical Disturbance 12F. The next day it was upgraded to a tropical depression, whilst on January 27, RSMC Nadi named the depression as Cyclone Gene. Later that day Gene made landfall on Fiji, and caused 8 deaths and $51 million (2008, F$). Cyclone Gene then slowly intensified to a category three cyclone on both the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale and the Australian Cyclone Intensity Scale. Gene then took a turn to the south moving towards 25°S which marks the edge of RSMC Nadi's area of responsibility with the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC) in Wellington, New Zealand. Gene then crossed 25°S on February 3 and Nadi released their final advisory. Cyclone Gene continued as a Tropical Cyclone for three days before becoming an extratropical cyclone. Early on February 6 TCWC Wellington released their final advisory on tropical cyclone Gene as they declared it as extratropical. (Full article...)

List of selected named cyclones

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1990 Andhra Pradesh cyclone

The 1990 Andhra Pradesh cyclone was the worst disaster to affect Southern India since the 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone. The system was first noted as a depression on 4 May 1990, while it was located over the Bay of Bengal about 600 km (375 mi) to the southeast of Chennai, India. During the next day the depression intensified into a cyclonic storm and started to intensify rapidly, becoming a super cyclonic storm early on 8 May. The cyclone weakened slightly before it made landfall on India about 300 km (190 mi) to the north of Madras in the Andhra Pradesh state as a very severe cyclonic storm with winds of 165 km/h (105 mph). While over land the cyclone gradually dissipated. The cyclone had a severe impact on India, with over 967 people reported to have been killed. Over 100,000 animals also died in the cyclone with the total cost of damages to crops estimated at over $600 million (1990 USD). (Full article...)

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Visual comparison of Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Andrew. The two storms are at similar positions and nearly identical intensities (933 mbar), but Hurricane Floyd is remarkably larger. In 1999 at the time of Floyd, it was believed that the wind speeds of the hurricanes were nearly identical as well, at 120 knots (140 mph, 220 km/h). In 2002, however, hurricane re-analysis concluded that Andrew had stronger winds than had previously been thought, and in the picture the storm winds are actually close to 145 knots (165 mph, 270 km/h).

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The 2003 Pacific hurricane season was the first season to feature no major hurricanes (storms of Category 3 intensity or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale) since 1977. The season officially began on May 15, 2003 in the Eastern North Pacific (east of 140°W), and on June 1 in the Central (between 140°W and the International Date Line); both ended on November 30. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most tropical cyclogenesis occurs in these regions of the Pacific. The season featured 16 tropical storms, 7 of which intensified into hurricanes, which was then considered an average season. Damage across the basin reached US$129 million, and 23 people were killed by the storms.

Despite the overall lack of activity, the season produced an unusually large number of tropical cyclones that affected Mexico, with eight tropical cyclones making landfall on either side of Mexico, which was the second highest on record. Tropical Storm Carlos struck Oaxaca in late June, resulting in nine fatalities. In late August, Hurricane Ignacio struck the Baja California Peninsula, killing four people and inflicting US$21 million in damage. In September, Hurricane Marty affected the same areas as Ignacio, and was responsible for 12 casualties and US$100 million in damage, making Marty the costliest and deadliest storm of the season. In October, Hurricanes Olaf and Nora struck western Mexico as tropical depressions, causing slight damage and one casualty. (Full article...)

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Currently active tropical cyclones

Italicized basins are unofficial.

North Atlantic (2024): Hurricane Rafael

East and Central Pacific (2024): Tropical Depression Fourteen-E

West Pacific (2024): No active systems

North Indian Ocean (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: 22:26, 6 November 2024 (UTC)

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Tropical cyclone anniversaries

November 5

1991 - Tropical Storm Thelma (pictured) made landfall on Samar in the Philippines. Thelma killed around 6,000 people throughout the Philippines.

November 6

1988 - Typhoon Skip reached its peak intensity with 230 km/h (145 mph) winds just to the east of the Philippines. Skip made landfall soon after that, killing about 100 people.
1996 - A powerful cyclone (pictured) made landfall over Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India, killing 1,077 people, with total damages amounting to $602 million.

November 7

1984 - Hurricane Klaus made landfall in extreme eastern Puerto Rico shortly before it reached its peak intensity. Klaus brought heavy rain to the island, exceeding 635 mm (25 in) at Guavate Camp.
1994 - Hurricane Florence reaches peak strength as a Category 2.
2010 - Cyclone Jal (pictured) makes landfall near Tamil Nadu causing about $1.73 billion of damages.

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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?

Did you know archive

General images - load new batch

The following are images from various tropical cyclone-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Flooding in Port Arthur, Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey. Harvey was the wettest and second-costliest tropical cyclone in United States history. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 2Percentages of hurricane deaths in the United States from 1970 to 1999. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 3The number of $1 billion Atlantic hurricanes almost doubled from the 1980s to the 2010s, and inflation-adjusted costs have increased more than elevenfold. The increases have been attributed to climate change and to greater numbers of people moving to coastal areas. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 4All but the most expensive bottles of water were sold out at this Publix supermarket before Hurricane Irma; in the week preceding the storm, water sold out soon after shipments arrived (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 5
South-West Indian Ocean cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 6Chart with concurrent information for Hurricane Arlene and Tropical Storm Bret logged and plotted (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 7An example of a chart for Matthew showing its five-day forecast track (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 8Hurricane response involves working in hazardous conditions, including contamination and electrocution hazards from floodwater.
Image 9Hurricane Isabel (2003)'s effect on the North Carolina Outer Banks (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 10
Atlantic hurricane
(from Cyclone)
Image 11
Australian region cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 12
Pacific hurricane
(from Cyclone)
Image 13A fictitious synoptic chart of an extratropical cyclone affecting the UK and Ireland. The blue arrows between isobars indicate the direction of the wind, while the "L" symbol denotes the centre of the "low". Note the occluded, cold and warm frontal boundaries. (from Cyclone)
Image 14The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 15
South Pacific cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 16The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. Katrina was the costliest tropical cyclone in United States history. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 17Broken concrete utility pole in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017, which ranks fourth in costliest US tropical cyclones. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 18Hurricane Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004 (from Cyclone)
Image 19
Pacific typhoon
(from Cyclone)
Image 20Cyclone on Mars, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope (from Cyclone)
Image 21Aerial image of destroyed houses in Tacloban, following Typhoon Haiyan (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 22Personnel and equipment from the National Guard of the United States en route to Hurricane Florence response efforts in 2018
Image 23Tropical cyclones form when the energy released by the condensation of moisture in rising air causes a positive feedback loop over warm ocean waters. (from Cyclone)
Image 24
North Indian Ocean cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 25The dangerous semicircle is the upper-right corner, with the arrow marking the direction of motion of a Northern Hemisphere storm. Note that typhoons, etc. are asymmetrical, and semicircle is a convenient misnomer. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 26Several cyclones on the dynamic north pole of Jupiter, imaged by Juno (from Cyclone)
Image 27Radar image of Hurricane Erika making landfall over Northeastern Mexico (from Tropical cyclone observation)
Image 282017 Atlantic hurricane season summary map (from Cyclone)
Image 29The initial extratropical low-pressure area forms at the location of the red dot on the image. It is usually perpendicular (at a right angle to) the leaf-like cloud formation seen on satellite during the early stage of cyclogenesis. The location of the axis of the upper level jet stream is in light blue. (from Cyclone)
Image 30Comparison between extratropical and tropical cyclones on surface analysis (from Cyclone)
Image 31Subtropical Storm Alex in the north Atlantic Ocean in January 2016 (from Cyclone)
Image 32A polar low over the Sea of Japan in December 2009 (from Cyclone)
Image 33Surface weather map of the 1935 Labor Day hurricane moving up the west coast of Florida (from Tropical cyclone observation)
Image 34An extratropical cyclone near Iceland (from Cyclone)

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This is a featured list, which represents some of the best list articles on English Wikipedia.

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...)

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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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