A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over

tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. Tropical cyclones rotate
counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They are classified as follows:

Tropical Depression: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less.

Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots).

Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the
western North Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons; similar storms in the Indian Ocean and South
Pacific Ocean are called cyclones.

Major Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph (96 knots) or higher,
corresponding to a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Tropical cyclones forming between 5 and 30 degrees North latitude typically move toward the west.
Sometimes the winds in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere change and steer the cyclone
toward the north and northwest. When tropical cyclones reach latitudes near 30 degrees North, they
often move northeast.

Classification of Tropical Cyclones

Tropical Cyclone Classification Maximum 10-minute mean wind near the centre
Tropical Depression up to 62 km/h
Tropical Storm 63 to 87 km/h
Severe Tropical Storm 88 to 117 km/h
Typhoon 118 to 149 km/h

CLASSIFICATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Tropical cyclones derive their energy from the latent heat of condensation which made them
exist only over the oceans and die out rapidly on land. One of its distinguishing features is its
having a central sea-level pressure of 900 mb or lower and surface winds often exceeding 100
knots. They reach their greatest intensity while located over warm tropical waters and they
begin to weaken as they move inland. The intensity of tropical cyclones vary, thus , we can
classify them based upon their degree of intensity.

The classification of tropical cyclones according to the strength of the associated windsas
adopted by PAGASA as of 01 May 2015 are as follows:

TROPICAL DEPRESSION (TD) - a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of up to 61

kilometers per hour (kph) or less than 33 nautical miles per hour (knots) .

TROPICAL STORM (TS) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 62 to 88 kph or 34 -
47 knots.

SEVERE TROPICAL STORM (STS), a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 89 to 117
kph or 48 - 63 knots.

TYPHOON (TY) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 118 to 220 kph or 64 - 120
knots.

SUPER TYPHOON (STY), a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed exceeding 220 kph or
more than 120 knots.

Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a

type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain,
snow, hail etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the
motion of rain droplets in addition to the intensity of the precipitation. Both types of data can be
analyzed to determine the structure of storms and their potential to cause severe weather.