TROPICAL CYCLONES

Introduction

Definition – A Tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterised by a

low pressure centre, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong circulation,
strong winds and a spiral arrangement of thunder storms that produce heavy rains.

• Tropical cyclone originates in Tropical region, generally within 30 degree North and
South latitudes.

• Drawing energy from the warm sea surface of the tropics and maintaining strength
as long as it remains over warm water, a tropical cyclone generates wind speed that
exceeds 119 km per hour.

• In extreme cases winds may exceed 240 km per hour and may surpass 320 km per
hour.
• Tropical cyclone is one of the extreme weather events by causing loss of human
lives as well as economic losses.

• The name cyclone means ‘coils of snake’ in Greek.

• These are called tropical cyclones because they form over the warm waters of the
tropical oceans.

• Depending on their strength and location these are known by various terms.

• China and Philippines – Typhoons

• USA and West Indies (Caribbean) – Hurricanes

• India and Bangladesh – Cyclone

• Australia – Wiley Wilies

 The breeding grounds of tropical cyclones are traditionally divided into seven
oceanic basins:

1. North Western Pacific Ocean

2. North Eastern Pacific Ocean

3. South Western part of Pacific Ocean

4. South Eastern Indian Ocean

5. South Western Indian Ocean

6. North Atlantic Ocean

7. Northern Indian Ocean

1. North Western Pacific Ocean
• Tropical storm affects China, Japan, Hongkong, Taiwan, the Philippines and
many other countries like Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and numerous
Oceanic Islands.
• This is the most active basin accounting 1/3 of all tropical cyclonic activity in the
world.

2. North Eastern Pacific Ocean

• It is the second most active basin in the world.
• Storm of this area affect Western Mexico, Hawaii and Northern part of Central
America

3. South Western Pacific Ocean

• Cyclonic activity largely affects Australia and Oceania.

4. South Eastern Indian Ocean

• This cyclone is active in the Western Australia and Indonesia.

5. South Western Indian Ocean

• Affects Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Tanzania and Kenya
6. The Northern Atlantic Basin
• It affects the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico

7. Northern Indian Ocean

• It is divided into two areas – Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
• The cyclone affects India, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Thailand, Pakistan,
Myanmar
• More cyclone form in the Bay of Bengal than in the Arabian Sea.

• Over the North Indian Ocean, on an average about 5 to 6 tropical cyclones

form every year, out of which 2-3 may be severe.

• There are two distinct seasons of tropical cyclones – one is from May to
June and other from mid September to mid December.

• Almost entire east coast of India is vulnerable to cyclones with varying

frequency and intensity.
• A tropical cyclone can be regarded as a large Cyclone Formation
and tall rotating cylinder of clouds containing
enormous amount of water vapour and heavy
winds.

• It is like a giant heat engine fuelled by the

release of latent heat due to condensation of huge
quantity of water vapour drawn from the warm
sea surface.

• The released latent heat warms up the air. The

air become lighter and rises up creating a drop in
pressure near the sea surface.

• This gives rise to rapid inflow of moist air and

the air rises above at the centre. Consequently
large amount of latent heat is released over the
same place.

• Thus air rushes in from all sides and rises

vertically up creating a rotating vortex. This result
in further growth of tropical cyclone and
strengthens the winds.
 Structure of a Tropical Cyclone

 A cyclone is a low pressure area surrounded by high pressure areas on all sides. The
low pressure area is known as the eye of the cyclone around which winds blow in anti-
clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the
Southern Hemisphere.

 Structurally a tropical cyclone can be divided into six distinct regions from the
centre to the outermost limit.
1. The Eye: The small central part of the tropical cyclone is known as eye. It is an
area of relatively calm winds and clear skies. The pressure is lowest and
temperature is highest in this region with partly cloudy skies or clear weather.

2. Eye Wall: Around the ‘eye’ is a wall which may be circular, concentric or
elliptical in shape. Some of the strongest winds and highest intensities of rainfall
occur in the eye wall.

3. Spiral Bands: Beyond the eye wall spiraling rain bands occur up to 400km.
High winds associated with heavy downpours often occur in individual rain
bands.

4. The Annular Zone: Next to the spiral bands is the annular zone which is
characterized by suppressed cloudiness, high temperature and low humidity.

5. Outer Convective Band: It occurs at the edge of the main cloudiness and
surrounds the annular zone.

6. Outflow: This is the outermost fringe of the cyclone. Beyond this region, the
tropical cyclone ceases to exist and normal atmospheric conditions prevail.
 Major Tropical Cyclones

Cyclones in India

• In India tropical cyclones originate both in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
80% of the total cyclones generates in Bay of Bengal and affects the eastern coastal
areas of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

• On May 9, 1990 a cyclone expected to strike Tamil Nadu shifted northwards and hit
Andhra Pradesh with strong winds of speed 225 to 250 km per hour.

• About 600 people los lives, 30,000 became homeless, 90,000 cattle perished and
property worth Rs. 1000 crores was destroyed.

• On October 29, 1999, the strongest cyclone in the cyclonic history of India moved
with a velocity of about 300 km per hour and battered ten coastal districts of Odisha
for more than 20 hours.

• Sea water rose up to 11.5 metres and inundated 15-20 km.

• Over 20,000 people were killed, 200 villages completely washed away, several
hundreds of thousand cattle perished, and property worth Rs 10,000 crore was
destroyed.
Cyclones in the United States

• Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005 an took a toll of 1000
lives.

• It brought sustained winds of 100-140 miles per hour.

• The storm itself did a great deal of damage but its aftermath was catastrophic.

• Hurricane Katrina was raining heavily for hours.

• When the storm surge (as high as 9 m) arrived it inundated the surrounding
areas.
Cyclones in Bangladesh

• Severe cyclone storm Aila was te worst natural disaster to affect Bangladesh.

• Aila formed over the Bay of Bengal on May 23, 2009. It was relatively strong
tropical cyclone caused extensive damage in India and Bangladesh.

• It resulted in 190 fatalities and at least 7000 injuries across the Khulna and Satkhira
district.

• Across 11 of the Nation’s 64 districts, approximately 600,000 thatched houses,

8000 km of roads, 1000 km of embankments and 123000 hectares of land were
damaged and destroyed.

• About 9.3 million people were affected by the cyclones of which 1 million were
rendered homeless.
 Consequences

a. Fierce Wind: Fierce wind can damage or destroy vehicles, buildings, bridges etc
making the environment dangerous.

b. Heavy Rain: Intense rainfall causes floods in rivers and stream, landslides,
impassable roads etc.

c. Storm Surge: The storm surge is the sudden rise of sea level on the coast which
can flood coastal areas. It causes saline inundation. Storm surge causes heavy loss
to the life and property.

d. Power Outrages: Tropical cyclone often knocks out power transmission lines,
prohibiting vital communication and hampering rescue efforts.

e. Public Health Emergencies: The wet environment in the aftermath of a tropical

cyclone, combined with destruction of sanitation facilities can induce epidemics of
disease which claim lives, large areas of standing water caused by flooding also
contribute water borne diseases.

f. Transportation Disruptions: Tropical cyclone often destroys key bridges, roads,

railway lines etc and poses problems to transport food, clean water and medicine
to the affected areas.
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