Portal:Tropical cyclones

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The Tropical Cyclones Portal

P:TC

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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Amphan near peak intensity over the Bay of Bengal on 18 May

Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan (/ˈʌm.pʌn/ um-pun) was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in Eastern India, specifically in West Bengal and Odisha, and in Bangladesh, in May 2020. It was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta. It was a rare cyclone that lashed northern Bangladesh from Rajshahi to Rangpur in the early hours of 21 May with strong winds. It caused severe damage to mango production of Rajshahi and Rangpur. It was also the fourth super cyclone that hit West Bengal and Kolkata since 2015 as well as being one of the strongest storms to impact the area. Causing over US$13 billion of damage, Amphan is also the costliest cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean, surpassing the record held by Cyclone Nargis of 2008.

The first tropical cyclone of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Amphan originated from a low-pressure area persisting a couple of hundred miles (300 km) east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 13 May 2020. Tracking northeastward, the disturbance organized over exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures; the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded the system to a tropical depression on 15 May while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) followed suit the following day. On 17 May, Amphan underwent rapid intensification and became an extremely severe cyclonic storm within 12 hours. (Full article...)

List of selected named cyclones

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Satellite image of the cyclone near peak intensity off the west coast of India

The October 1996 India cyclone (also known as Cyclone 05A) had an unusual and protracted path that spanned much of the northern Indian Ocean. It originated in a weather disturbance that formed on October 14 in the southern Bay of Bengal, off India's east coast. Moving westward, it struck Andhra Pradesh on October 17 as a well-defined low-pressure area. It crossed southern India and reorganized in the Arabian Sea off the western coast of India. The system developed into a depression on October 22 and quickly intensified while moving northward. By October 24, the cyclone approached hurricane intensity as it developed an eye, reaching peak winds of at least 110 km/h (70 mph). On October 25, the storm abruptly stalled and weakened off Gujarat, and progressed southwestward as a minimal storm. It was no longer classifiable as a tropical cyclone by October 28, although its remnants persisted until November 2 when they dissipated east of Somalia.

In southern India, the storm dropped heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding in Andhra Pradesh. At least 112 reservoirs and dams were breached, killing 200 people in Prakasam district. The floodwaters ruined about 1,600,000 ha (4,000,000 acres) of crops and damaged around 53,000 houses, leaving thousands homeless. The floods killed 388 people in southern India and caused US$388 million in damage. The storm later brushed the west coast of India, stranding 50 boats. The Indian military helped with relief and rescue efforts. Another cyclone struck Andhra Pradesh in November, causing additional damage and deaths. (Full article...)

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Typhoon Nida as a 150-mph typhoon. This image was taken by Jacques Descloitres from MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC on May 17, 2004, while the typhoon was making landfall on the Philippines.

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The 2018 Pacific hurricane season was one of the most active Pacific hurricane seasons on record, producing the highest accumulated cyclone energy value on record in the basin. The season had the fourth-highest number of named storms – 23, tied with 1982. The season also featured eight landfalls, six of which occurred in Mexico. The season officially began on May 15 in the Eastern Pacific, and on June 1 in the Central Pacific; they both ended on November 30. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Pacific basin. However, tropical cyclone formation is possible at any time of the year, as illustrated when the first tropical depression formed on May 10, five days prior to the official start of the season.

The second named storm of the season, Hurricane Bud, struck Baja California Sur in mid-June, causing minor damage. Tropical Storm Carlotta stalled offshore of the Mexican coastline, where it also caused minor damage. In early August, Hurricane Hector became one of the few tropical cyclones to cross into the Western Pacific from the Eastern Pacific, while also affecting Hawaii. Tropical Storm Ileana brought torrential rainfall to southwestern Mexico during early August, causing relatively minor damage. A few weeks later, Hurricane Lane obtained Category 5 intensity while also becoming Hawaii's wettest tropical cyclone on record and the second wettest tropical cyclone in United States history, only behind Hurricane Harvey of the previous year. Hurricane Olivia also struck Hawaii, resulting in relatively minor damage. (Full article...)

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Currently active tropical cyclones

Italicized basins are unofficial.

North Atlantic (2024): No active systems

East and Central Pacific (2024): No active systems

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: 22:43, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

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Tropical cyclone anniversaries

November 22

1981 - Typhoon Irma (pictured) reached its peak intensity with winds of 250 km/h (155 mph) in the Philippine Sea as it approached its landfall in the northern Philippines. Irma caused over 200 deaths on Luzon.
2004 - Cyclone Bento rapidly intensifies into an intense Category 5 cyclone with 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) along with a pressure of 915 hPa, out in the Indian Ocean.

November 23

1978 - A powerful cyclone (pictured) struck northeastern Sri Lanka, killing 915 people.
1982 - Hurricane Iwa reached its peak intensity with winds of 145 km/h (90 mph) to the southwest of Hawaii. Iwa passed very close to the island of Kauai the next day causing about $200 million in damage.

November 24

1969 - Hurricane Martha made landfall in Panama with 115 km/h (70 mph) winds, becoming the only mature tropical cyclone ever recorded to impact the country.
2016 - Hurricane Otto (pictured) reaches peak strength as a Category 3 while making landfall in Nicaragua, causing over $190 million in damages and 23 fatalities. Otto was the first cyclone to crossover from the Atlantic basin to the East Pacific since 1996, and the first to retain its name while switching basins.

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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 1The 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 2
Pacific hurricane
(from Cyclone)
Image 3Aerial image of destroyed houses in Tacloban, following Typhoon Haiyan (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 4The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 5An extratropical cyclone near Iceland (from Cyclone)
Image 6The 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 7The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. Katrina was the costliest tropical cyclone in United States history. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 8Radar image of Hurricane Erika making landfall over Northeastern Mexico (from Tropical cyclone observation)
Image 9Cyclone on Mars, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope (from Cyclone)
Image 10Hurricane response involves working in hazardous conditions, including contamination and electrocution hazards from floodwater.
Image 11Tropical 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 12
Pacific typhoon
(from Cyclone)
Image 13
South-West Indian Ocean cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 14
Australian region cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 15Hurricane Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004 (from Cyclone)
Image 16The 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 172017 Atlantic hurricane season summary map (from Cyclone)
Image 18Comparison between extratropical and tropical cyclones on surface analysis (from Cyclone)
Image 19Subtropical Storm Alex in the north Atlantic Ocean in January 2016 (from Cyclone)
Image 20A polar low over the Sea of Japan in December 2009 (from Cyclone)
Image 21A 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 22An example of a chart for Matthew showing its five-day forecast track (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 23
Atlantic hurricane
(from Cyclone)
Image 24
North Indian Ocean cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 25Chart with concurrent information for Hurricane Arlene and Tropical Storm Bret logged and plotted (from Tropical cyclone preparedness)
Image 26Personnel and equipment from the National Guard of the United States en route to Hurricane Florence response efforts in 2018
Image 27Broken 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 28Percentages of hurricane deaths in the United States from 1970 to 1999. (from Effects of tropical cyclones)
Image 29Surface weather map of the 1935 Labor Day hurricane moving up the west coast of Florida (from Tropical cyclone observation)
Image 30Several cyclones on the dynamic north pole of Jupiter, imaged by Juno (from Cyclone)
Image 31
South Pacific cyclone
(from Cyclone)
Image 32Flooding 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 33All 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 34Hurricane Isabel (2003)'s effect on the North Carolina Outer Banks (from Effects of tropical cyclones)

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

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annual hurricane season in the north Atlantic Ocean. It was an above-average season for tropical cyclones for the third consecutive year. Though the season officially began on June 1, 2018 and ended November 30, 2018, dates adopted by convention and historically describe the period during each year when most tropical cyclones form, it effectively started with the formation of Tropical Storm Alberto on May 25. The season's final storm, Hurricane Oscar, dissipated on October 31.

The year produced sixteen tropical depressions, all but one of which further intensified into named tropical storms. Of the fifteen named storms, eight developed into hurricanes, and two further intensified into major hurricanes, which are rated Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale. These two major hurricanes contributed to a majority of the season's severe destruction and loss of life, mainly in the United States. (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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