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Tropical Cyclones: Understanding Hurricanes, Typhoons, And Cyclones

Hurricanes

Khushboo Malhotra


Powerful tropical cyclones occur all around the world, but their names vary depending on where they crop up. The annual tropical cyclone season has been a busy one for hurricanes and typhoons. So, visualising their characteristics and tendencies will show the difference between various storm systems and how they form.

Gusts of strong winds lashed Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines earlier in September 2022. This Typhoon Noru, or Super Typhoon Karding in the Philippines caused widespread agricultural mayhem.  The two most destructive storms pummelled Western Cuba and the Southeast of the United States. Likewise, the aftermath of the two hurricanes – Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona – drastically hit parts of the Caribbean and Eastern Canada. Millions were then forced to evacuate their homes.

So why do we call one storm a hurricane and the other a typhoon? And while we’re at it, what exactly is a cyclone?

What are tropical cyclones?

  • Hurricanes: Occur in the North Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific and South Pacific Ocean, often affecting the US east coast and Caribbean.
  • Typhoons: Occur in the Western North Pacific Ocean and usually affect Asia, frequently hitting the Philippines and Japan.
  • Cyclones: Occur in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, often knocking countries from Australia all the way to Mozambique. In the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Western South Indian Ocean, the name is “cyclone”. In the eastern part of the Southern Indian Ocean and North-West Australia, it is “willy-willy.”

How are they formed?

Tropical cyclones are warm-core low-pressure systems associated with a spiral inflow of mass at the bottom level and a spiral outflow at the top level. As a result of large-scale atmospheric disturbances, they form over mass bodies of relatively warm water, gaining energy through water vapour. This is abundant in oceans and seas.

“heat releases, warming the atmosphere and making the air lighter”

As NOAA described, water vapour rises into the atmosphere, and as it rises it cools to condensation, ultimately condensing into liquid droplets that form clouds and rain. During the condensation process, heat releases, warming the atmosphere and makes the air lighter,  continuing to rise into the atmosphere. More air moves in near the surface to take its place, which is the strong wind we feel from these storms.

This replenishing of moisture-bearing air after rain can produce an exceptionally intense downpour that lasts for several hours or days up to 40 km (25 mi) from the shoreline, exceeding the amount of water that the local atmosphere can hold. This can whisk up enormous waves, which flood extensive areas, including towns and cities.

A season for every storm: When do they occur?

Besides having different names, hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones also have different seasons.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and over 95% of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this period. Typhoons in the Northwest Pacific Ocean are most common from May to October, although they can form year-round. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds. But, cyclones usually form between April and December, with their peak from May to November. And in the South Pacific, it’s cyclone season between November and April. The season begins two weeks later and concludes at the same time in the Southern Indian Ocean. The Island Republics of Mauritius and the Seychelles are the exceptions. There, the season is lasts until May 15.


Featured image courtesy of JD Designs on Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image. 

Khushboo is a Twitter Editor at Empoword Journalism. She is an Award-nominated lifestyle and pop culture journalist, writer, and budding entrepreneur aiming to break down the boundaries of cultural stigma and shame attached to mental health and sexual health and bring marginalised topics to light. Send your stories, tips, and press announcements to khushboomalhotrafreelance@gmail.com

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