Tropical Revolving storms

Tropical revolving storms when fully developed are known as Hurricanes, Typhoons or Cyclones depending upon
their area of existence, constitute one of the most destructive of atmospheric phenomena.

A tropical revolving storm may be defined as a roughly circular atmospheric vortex, originating in the tropics or
subtropics, wherein the winds blow in converging spiral tracks ( anti clockwise in NH and clockwise in SH) reach
or exceed gale force ( Beaufort force 8)

Origin movement and life span

TRS originate in latitudes between 5 deg and 20 deg and travel between W and WNW in NH and between W and
WSW in the SH, at a speed of about 12 knots. Some where along their track they curve away from the equator –
curve to N and then recurve to NE in the NH and curve to S and then recurve to SE in the SH. The recurving is
such that the storm travels around the oceanic high (which is situated at about 30 deg N and30 deg S) After
recurving the speed of travel increased to about 15 to 20 knots. Sometimes a TRS does not curve or recurve at all
but continues on its original path crosses the coast and dissipates quickly.

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 Formation of TRS

When the ocean surface is warm, the air along above it is also warm thus the evaporation of sea water takes
place. When the wind speed is more, more evaporation takes place and water vapour rises up to form a cloud.
During the ascent of water vapour , it cools and release latent heat which provides the energy to form TRS. The
mixture of heat and water vapour creates thunderstorms. These storms may group together if the warm water
is present and begins to spin around as one large system. As they are pushed further across the ocean by wind ,
they draw in more warm air and get more energy. Because the air moves upward and away from the surface,
there is less air left near the surface i.e low pressure is created. Air from surrounding areas with high pressure.
Then that new air becomes warm and moist and rises too. As the warm air continues to rise, the surrounding air
swirls (spin) in to take its place. The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows to form thunderstorm
and further to TRS.

Structure

A well developed TRS has three distinct parts

The Eye or Vortex: The eye is unique to the hurricanes No other atmospheric phenomenon has this calm core.
On the average, eye diameter is about 14 miles, although diameter of 25 miles are not unusual. The winds are
calm and is a cloud free region with subsidence and with lowest pressure.

The Eye Wall: An inner ring of hurricane force winds having a width usually between 4 -30 miles. The winds in
the eye wall blow in a perfectly circular path with a speed as high as 130 knots with occasional gusts upto 150
knots. The pressure gradient in the eye wall is very steep, therefore a barograph would register a near vertical
trend downwards before the eye and upward behind it.

The Outer storm area: surrounds the eye wall having a diameter between 50-800 miles, the average being 500
miles. The winds in this region are strong ( force 6 or 7) and the pressure gradient is much less.

Weather

Atmospheric pressure:

In the outer storm area ,the fall of pressure ahead of the trough, and rise of pressure behind it, is slow. In the
eye wall the same thing is very sharp. The trace of barograph is very steep, nearly vertical. The pressure gradient
in this region can be as high as 11 mb in 15 miles. In the eye the lowest pressure is reached. This may be as low
as 60 mb below normal. A pressure drop of 20 mb is sufficient to cause a well developed TRS.

Wind

Wind direction: If a stationary observer is in the RHSC the wind will veer steadily and if he is in the LHSC it will
back steadily. This holds good for both NH & SH. If he is in the direct path of the storm, wind direction will
remain fairly steady.

Wind force: will increase as the atmospheric pressure falls and after the trough, or eye as the case may be, has
passed, the wind force will gradually decrease as the pressure increases. The wind force in the outer storm area
may be force 6 to 7, whereas in the eye wall of a violent TRS it may be force 12 or over.

Wind direction & force in the eye: As soon as a vessel passes from the eye wall into the eye the wind dies down
into light airs but the swell is mountainous and confused. It must not be presumed that a vessel in the eye of a
TRS is in a comfortable and safe position. On the contrary she is in a most dangerous situation. After a short

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 while as the vessel passes in the eye wall behind the trough the sudden hurricane force wind from the opposite
direction strikes the vessel and may cause it to heel as much as 80deg.

Atmospheric temperature Since a TRS exists in one air mass only, no drastic changes of atmospheric temp are
experienced on its passage. However, atmospheric temp would decrease during rain. In the eye a slight increase
may be registered due to adiabatic heating of the subsiding air.

Cloud sequence

In the outer fringes of the storm, cirrus in the form of strands or filaments generally so aligned that they may be
said to point towards the storm centre. The cirrostratus followed by altostratus.

Around the eye wall, thick nimbostratus (giving cont. rain) and small patches of cumulus may be seen. At the eye
wall towering anvil shaped cumulonimbus gives torrential rain.

Directly above the eye, a small circular patch of blue sky may be seen.

Visibility

In the outer fringes of a TRS, visibility is usually excellent. In the middle of the outer storm area, it becomes good
except in occasional showers.

Around eye wall it becomes poor due to rain under nimbostratus clouds. In the eye wall it is poor due to driving
rain and spray.

In the eye it is poor due to mist or fog.

FACTORS FAVOURABLE FOR CYCLOGENESIS:

1. Large value of relative humidity in lower and middle Troposphere

2. High temperature (Tropical areas)

3. LP area surrounded by HP area

4. Convection currents

5. Fair amount of Coriolis force (latitude more than 5deg N or S )

6. Weak prevailing winds (during change of season)

1. & 2- ensure that a large quantity of water vapour is present in the air.

3 & 4- ensure that air rises continuously so that adiabatic cooling results in condensation that liberates latent
heat. This latent heat provides the energy for the TRS.

5. ensures that when the winds blow from surrounding areas of HP to areas of LP inside , they get deflected
sufficiently to blow spirally inwards (cyclonic)

6- If the prevailing winds are strong the air would not rise vertically. It would be carried off horizontally, there
by not allowing a TRS to form.

CONDITIONS FAVOURABLE :

(1) They invariably form over the regions and during the seasons where and when the sea surface temperature is
highest, i.e. usually in the western parts of the tropical oceans during their summer and early autumn.
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 (2) The existence of a deep, moist, unstable layer of equatorial air. such layers are mostly found over the regions
of highest sea temperatures.

(3) Small variation of wind with height (i.e. a small wind shear) throughout the lower troposphere

(4) A previously existing weak cyclonic circulation (tropical depression). this is an essential condition for the
development of a tropical revolving storm. it may appear as a closed circulation.

(5) A region where there is a disturbance in the easterly trade wind circulation and where the air is moving
cyclonically. e.g. on a curved path, keeping the low pressure on its left in the northern hemisphere.

WARNING SIGNS OF AN APPROACHING TRS

SWELL:

The very violent winds of the eye-wall send swell out in a radial direction. Swell can be experienced as much as a
thousand miles away. Swell travels much faster than the speed of travel of the storm. swell, therefore,
approaches from the direction of the storm centre. swell is usually the first indication of an approaching TRS.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE:

falls steadily. if the barometric pressure, corrected for index error, temperature, height above sea level, latitude
and diurnal variation (for that time of the day) is more than 3 mb below normal, the approach of a TRS should be
suspected and if it is more than 5 mb below normal, the approach/existance of a TRS is confirmed.

WEATHER:

(A) Cirrus in the form of bands or filaments aligned towards the direction of the storm center.

(B) Unusually clear visibility may be experienced.

(C) Sometimes peculiar dark red/copper colour of sky is seen at sunset before a TRS.

(D) Increase of wind force as the pressure falls steadily.

(E) Threatening appearance of dense, heavy clouds on the horizon.

(F) Frequent lighting may be seen.

(G) Succession of squalls, with or without rain.

To ascertain in which semi-circle v/l lies

For a stationary observer, if the wind veers vessel is in the RHSC and if it backs , LHSC ( for both NH & SH).
Veering or backing , once detected should be continuous, i.e veering wind should continue to veer and backing
wind should continue to back. If the wind veers at first then backs or if it backs at first then veers the vessel must
have passed from one semi-circle into another due to change of path of storm.

If a vessel is approaching a stationary TRS the wind would veer in LHSC and back in RHSC

LIFE CYCLE:

The average life period of a TRS varies according to region and season. An Atlantic or Pacific ocean August storm
could have an average life expectancy of about 12 days. Whereas a July or November storm could live for about
8 days. the average life of Indian ocean storm during post monsoon peak period is about 4 to 5 days.

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 MOVEMENT:

Tropical storms usually originate between approximately 8 degrees and 20 degrees latitude from equator and
travel to the westward. The usual track of a tropical storm follows a parabola around the oceanic “permanent”
high pressure areas. thus, after forming, the storm will move away to the westward on the equatorial side of the
high-pressure system, tending polewards as it progresses. when the western side of the high pressure system is
reached, usually it will incline more and more polewards and then recurve to the eastward. The position where
its westward movement changes to an eastward movement is known as the “point of recurvature”. thus in the
northern hemisphere the general movement of tropical storm is roughly west, north-west, north finally north-
east. In both hemispheres the average position of re-curvature in the various oceans follow the movement of
the overhead sun through the seasons in a manner closely resembling the seasonal migrations of the
doldrums and subtropical high-pressure belts.

The rate of movement of tropical storm centre is generally less than 15 knots and therefore slower than that of
the temperate depressions. After recurving and acquiring an eastward movement, they begin to move rather
faster and may reach 25 to 30 knots or more. Some of them do not recurve. after reaching temperate latitudes,
many storms tend to disappear by absorption into larger temperate depressions.

ACTION when approach of a TRS is confirmed

OBTAIN THE BEARING OF THE STORM CENTER.

ASCERTAIN IN WHICH SEMI-CIRCLE THE VESSEL LIES.

TAKE AVOIDING ACTION.

Avoiding action

AVOIDING ACTION SHOULD CONSIST OF KEEPING THE VESSEL OUTSIDE A RADIUS OF 200 MILES OR MORE.

If the vessel is in dangerous semicircle:

She should proceed with all the available speed with wind 1 to 4 points on her starboard bow in NH and on port
bow in SH. Altering course as the wind veers (backs in SH). This action should be kept up until the pressure rises
back to normal i.e. until the vessel is outside the outer storm area. If there is insufficient sea room, the vessel
should heave to with the wind on the stbd bow (port bow in SH) until the storm passes over.

If the vessel is in the path of the storm or if in the navigable semi-circle:

Proceed as fast as practicable with the wind about 4 points on the stbd quarter (port quarter in SH) altering
course as the wind backs (veers in SH). This action should be kept until the pressure rises back to normal i.e untill
the vessel is outside storm area.

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 MANEUVERING TO AVOID THE STORM CENTER

The safest procedure with respect to tropical cyclones is to avoid them. If action is taken sufficiently early, this is
simply a matter of setting a course that will take the vessel well to one side of the probable track of the storm,
and then continuing to plot the positions of the storm center as given in the weather bulletins, revising the
course as needed. however, this is not always possible. if the ship is found to be within the storm area, the
proper action to take depends in part upon its position relative to the storm center and its direction of travel. it
is customary to divide the circular area of the storm into two parts. in the northern hemisphere, that part to the
right of the storm track (facing in the direction toward which the storm is moving) is called the dangerous
semicircle.

It is considered dangerous because

(1) the actual wind speed is greater than that due to the pressure gradient alone, since it is augmented by the
forward motion of the storm, and

(2) the direction of the wind and sea is such as to carry a vessel into the path of the storm (in the forward part of
the semicircle).

the part to the left of the storm track is called the less dangerous semicircle, or navigable semicircle. in this part,
the wind is decreased by the forward motion of the storm, and the wind blows vessels away from the storm
track (in the forward part). because of the greater wind speed in the dangerous semicircle, the seas are higher

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 than in the less dangerous semicircle. in the southern hemisphere, the dangerous semicircle is to the left of the
storm track, and the less dangerous semicircle is to the right of the storm track.

Use of safety sector for keeping a ship clear of a Tropical Storm (NH)

To plot a danger area from the reported position of the centre of the storm, lay off its track and
distance expected for next 24 hrs. From the reported centre, lay off two lines 40° on either side of the
track, make an arc to cut the two lines on either side of track from the expected position of storm after
next 24 hrs. This is the sector in which the storm may be from next 24 hrs.

Example :-

A ship in a position A at midnight steaming 180°at 20 kts receives a report of a TRS to the south of her
with centre at H1 moving NNW at 6 knts. Sector 1 is drawn but no action is taken at this time since if
the storm continues on its course the ship will pass more than 200 miles away from centre.

Six hrs later when the ship is at B the storm is reported to be centred at H2 and moving northwards
at10 knts. Sector 2 is drawn and it is apparent that if the storm continues on this path, the closest
approach could be 150 miles or considerably less. Speed is therefore reduced to 15 knts and plot is
maintained.

At 1200 hrs with ship at C, the storm centre is reported at H3 now moving NNE and having accelerated
to 12 knts. Sector 3 is drawn and it is apparent that if the vessel continues to steer 180°she will steam
into dangerous area of storm. And get the vessel closer to storm therefore a bold alteration of course
to 250°is made and speed increased to 20 kntsto keep clear of storm.

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 At 1800 hrs vsl is in pos’n D and the storm is expected at position H4 moving NE at 15 knts and sector 4
is drawn, at co of vsl 250, it is apparent that CPA is more than 200 miles.

This co is maintained until midnight, by that time the TRS could pass and then vsl reverts to her original
Co of 180

Messages reqd to be sent as per SOLAS

As per Reg. 5 of chapter V, titled Meteorological services and warnings, of SOLAS.

Reg. 31,32 describes types & content of msgs to be sent.

TTT STORM. 0030 UTC August 18. 2004N, 11354E. Barometer corrected 994 mb, tendency down 6 mb. Wind
NW, force 9, heavy squalls. Heavy easterly swell. Course 067, 5 knots.

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