What is a Cyclone?

Cyclone seen from Space

A tropical cyclone is a low-pressure system which develops in the tropics and is sufficiently intense to produce sustained gale force winds of at least 63km/h. If the sustained wind reaches hurricane force of at least 118km/h the system is defined as a severe tropical cyclone. In other parts of the world they are called hurricanes or typhoons. Tropical cyclones can cause significant phenomena which can adversely, and sometimes favourably impact on communities and the environment. The most common features are destructive winds and heavy rainfall that can lead to flooding. Storm surge, or coastal inundation by seawater, is a lesser known phenomenon but can be the most dangerous element of a cyclone. Though rare in Australia, tornadoes have been reported during cyclone events.

Severe wind
In tropical cyclones, wind gusts in excess of 90km/h can be expected around their centre, or eye, while in the most severe events, gusts can exceed 360km/h. Although the strongest winds are near the eye, damaging winds can extend hundreds of kilometres from the centre. The eye can have quite calm winds and cloud-free skies, but this lull is temporary and is followed by destructive winds from another direction. This is because, from above, the winds spiral around the eye in a clockwise direction (in the Southern Hemisphere). The effect of this on the ground is that winds on opposite sides of the eye blow in different directions. Wind damage is mostly caused by the maximum gusts in the cyclone. For this reason, the well-known tropical cyclone severity categories used by the Bureau of Meteorology to communicate warnings are based on maximum gust strengths.

Heavy rainfall
Because tropical cyclones form over warm tropical oceans, they generally hold enormous amounts of moisture and can produce heavy rainfall over extensive areas. Rain can create severe impacts by causing floods and landslides and through the direct damage of materials by contact, such as being driven by wind into buildings. Direct damage is generally the result of wind damage to walls, windows or roofs, which allows water to penetrate buildings. Rainfall can be associated with the tropical cyclone when it impacts on the coast or further inland as it weakens to become a tropical depression. Heavy rain from tropical cyclones or tropical depressions can often reach Australia's more southerly latitudes where the rainfall is a major source of water for the country's inland river and ground water systems. Flooding can wreak havoc over vast areas, inundating land, isolating communities and destroying infrastructure.

Storm surge
Potentially the most dangerous hazard associated with tropical cyclones which make landfall is storm surge. Storm surge has been responsible for more deaths than any other feature of tropical cyclones. Storm surge is a raised dome of water about 60 to 80 kilometres across and typically about two to five metres higher than the normal tide level. It is caused by a combination of strong winds driving water onshore and the lower atmospheric pressure in a tropical cyclone. In the southern hemisphere the onshore winds occur to the left of the tropical cyclone's path. In Australia, this is the east side on the north west and north coasts and the south side on the east coast. The largest surge usually extends between 30 and 60 kilometres from the crossing point of the tropical cyclone centre, or eye. Its influence also depends on the local topography of the seafloor and the angle at which the cyclone crosses the coast. If the surge occurs at the same time as a high astronomical tide the area inundated can be extensive, particularly along low-lying coastlines.
Interesting fact: Tropical cyclone Tracy is the smallest recorded cyclone, with a radius of gales extending less than 50 kilometres. The largest tropical cyclone on record is Typhoon Tip which had gales over a radius 1100 kilometres in the north-west Pacific Ocean.

The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location where the storm occurs
Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon; we just use different names for these storms in different places. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term hurricane is used. The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a typhoon and cyclones occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

The ingredients for these storms include a pre-existing weather disturbance, warm tropical oceans, moisture, and relatively light winds. If the right conditions persist long enough, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods we associate with this phenomenon. In the Atlantic, hurricane season officially runs June 1 to November 30. However, while 97 percent of tropical activity occurs during this time period, there is nothing magical in these dates, and hurricanes have occurred outside of these six months. The earths atmosphere and air around us is always moving. Wind is simply moving air. Sometimes it moves slowly creating a gentle breeze. Other times it can move faster creating stronger, more powerful winds. We cannot see the wind, but we can see what it does to trees outside and kites on the beach. If you are outside on a windy day you can sometimes feel the wind on your face. It may be so windy that it is difficult to walk.Both the direction and speed of the wind should be measured for weather observations.

One of the oldest pieces of equipment used to measure weather is a wind vane. This wind or weather vane is usually made from a strong material, (like metal) and placed above ground, usually on top of a building. The wind vane will show clearly the 4 principle directions of the compass: North, East, South and West, and have a moveable arm that can point in any direction. Once true north is known (using a compass), the wind direction can be found by looking at the direction the arm is pointing from. For example, air moving from east to west will create an easterly wind. Another way to find out wind direction is by using a wind sock which you may have seen at airports or airfields.
Wind speed can be measured in miles per hour, kilometres per hour and by knots. The wind force can be identified using the Beaufort scale, which divides wind speeds into 12 forces. Force 0 means calm, Force 4 is a moderate breeze; Force 8 is a gale, while the maximum is hurricane force 12. The wind speed is measured using an anemometer. Most weather stations measure wind speed using a spinning cup anemometer, which rotates depending on the wind. You can learn more about very powerful winds on the extreme weather pages.

A wind vane, usually on roofs

A spinning cup anemometer measuring wind speed at Canterbury Broad Oak

Precipitation is the release of water from the atmosphere to the earths surface as a solid or liquid. It includes rain, snow, hail, sleet and dew.

In the British Isles, rainfall is a very common type of weather. Rain starts above us when small droplets of water in the clouds join together until they get too big and heavy and fall from the clouds. However, different cloud types can produce different rainfall. Heavy rainfall after a hot summer day may fall from tall, large white, fluffycumulonimbus clouds. Light rain, also known as drizzle, may fall from low, grey, layered cloud called stratus.

It is useful to measure the amount of rainfall we have, as it provides an important source of water toreservoirs giving us drinking water. Rainfall is easy to measure by recording how much water collects in a rain gauge. The rain gauge is quite accurate as long as it is set up safely at ground level in an exposed place. The amount of rainfall collected in the gauge is measured inmillimetres. Rainfall data can be used to work out monthly averages and make comparisons with previous years.
Temperature is the measure of how cold or hot somewhere is. Temperature is usually higher during the day than at night. Rural areas (the countryside) are often cooler than towns and cities. This is because there are more buildings and factories ( known as 'heat islands') which absorb heat during the day, releasing it slowly at night and warming the surrounding air. Temperature is measured using a thermometer, with units in degrees on Fahrenheit (F) or Celcius (C) scales. The main type of thermometer used is the liquid-in-glass thermometer. A liquid (usually alcohol) expands depending on temperature. It then moves up a small tube alongside a scale, from which temperature readings can be made. Thermometers should be put within a Stevenson Screen to stop temperature readings being affected by direct sunlight. he amount of sunshine we have depends on latitude and how much cloud there is in the sky. In some of the world's deserts the number of sunshine hours is very high, more than 3,600 hours each year. In the Eastern Sahara desert, the sun is covered by clouds for less than 100 hours a year. In Britain we have from 1,850 hours in Southern England to 1,200 hours in North Scotland. There is usually more sunshine where atmospheric pressure is higher. Hours of sunshine are usually recorded on a simple machine called a parheliometer also known as a Campbell-Stokes recorder. It works by using a glass ball to focus the sunlight and rays onto a strip of card. As the sun moves round during the day, the card is scorched creating a record of how many sunshine hours there were.

We have all seen a foggy day when it is difficult to see, and no matter how fast you run the fog seems just as thick and just as far away from you. This is because there is no insulating blanket of air above to keep the earth's heat in. The air closest to the ground cools rapidly, with all the water vapour in the air condensing as tiny floating droplets of water. Visibility is simply how far you can see. In weather terms it is how clear the atmosphereand air are, taking into account fog, mist and urban pollution. Fog and mist are like clouds on the ground. They are made up of lots of tiny water droplets, which is why you can sometimes get wet when walking through fog. When there is a light breeze, clear skies and damp air, moisture in the air condenses near the ground making fog or mist. Visibility can be estimated using descriptive words such as: good, poor, foggy etc. How far you can see is also used to describe visibility: Fog less than 1km Poor 1 to 5km Moderate 5 to 10km Good more than 10km Different environments around the world experience different levels of fog. People living high in the mountains may see fog all year. The city of San Francisco in North America is famous for its thick mist that moves in from the Pacific Ocean. In the United Kingdom we mainly see fog in autumn and winter, but some tropical parts of the world may never have seen fog. There are two types of fog. Click to find out more: 1. Advection Fog 2. Radiation Fog Clouds are made up of millions of tiny water droplets. Clouds are made when quite warm, moist air rises into the sky where it cools down and condenses. Clouds can form in a few minutes or over a number of hours. There are many different types of cloud and looking at them can help you to predict the weather. Cloud can be measured through a number of observations. Consider whether the cloud is:

HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Altitude HIGH

(5,500-14,000 meters) Includes: Cirrus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus (2,000-7,000 meters) Includes: Altocumulus, altostratus, and nimbostratus (below 2,000 meters) Includes: Stratocumulus, Stratus, Cumulus, and Cumulonimbus Name Cirrus Colour White White Whitish White/grey Greyish Dark grey Description Thin silky and feathery Ripples/bumps Fat, smooth transparent sheet Layers and waves often separated by blue sky Thin sheets/layers Thick sheets Layers in rounded rolls. No breaks. Thin sheet blanketing sky Puffy clouds Very tall puffy clouds Weather Fair Fair Worsening Fair Rain on way Continuous rain/snow Dry/dull Drizzle Good Storms. Heavy

Cirrocumulus Cirrostratus Altocumulus

MEDIUM

Altostratus Nimbostratus

Stratocumulus Grey/white LOW Stratus Cumulus Grey Grey/white

Cumulonimbus Grey/white

rain/hail/snow

The amount of cloud in the sky is measured in eighths (or oktas by meteorologists). Simple observation can be made such as Clear - no cloud cover Partly cloudy - less than half cloud cover Mainly cloudy - more than half cloud cover but with some breaks in the cloud Overcast - complete cloud cover
Pressure is the weight of the atmosphere on the earths surface. This atmospheric pressure is lower at the top of mountains and highest at sea level. This is beacuse all the air above the sea pushes down on its' surface. Rapid drops in air pressure mean unstable conditions and a storm is on its way, while rises in pressure mean conditions are more stable and fair weather is returning. Atmospheric pressure is measured with a barometer, which can be kept indoors. Humidity is how much water vapour is in the atmosphere. Like a sponge, the air is always evaporating and storing water from rivers, lakes and oceans. In tropical parts of the world, warm air is able to hold more water vapour and humidity is higher as a result. Relative humidity is a measure of how much water vapour is actually in the air compared to how much water vapour the air could hold. This is measured using a wet and dry hygrometer. This type of thermometer has two bulbs; one is kept wet in distilled water and the other dry. The difference in temperature between them can be calculated to give relative humidity. Humidity must be high for fog or clouds to form. The weather is all around us, all the time. It is an important part of our lives and one that we cannot control. Instead the weather often controls how and where we live, what we do, what we wear and what we eat. Someone who studies the weather is called a meteorologist. Weather predictions are made by forecasters who you see on television. Weather is made up of different things. Click on the different types of weather above to find out more about them and how they can be measured.

Weather Definition
Weather is the day-to-day conditions of a particular place. For example: It was raining today at school. Yesterday it was sunny at home.

What is Climate?
Climate is often spoken about at the same time as weather, but it is something quite different. The climate is the common, average weather conditions at a particular place over a long period of time (for example, more than 30 years). We learn about different climates around the world. Deserts have a hot and dry climate while the Antarctic has a very cold and dry climate.
In the Philippines, tropical cyclones (typhoons) are called bagyo. Tropical cyclones entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility are given a local name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services [2][3] Administration (PAGASA), which also raises public storm signal warnings as deemed necessary. Around 19 tropical cyclones or storms enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility in a typical year and of these usually 6 to 9 make [4][5] landfall. The deadliest overall tropical cyclone to impact the Philippines is believed to have been the September 1881 typhoon which is estimated to have killed up to 20,000 people as it passed over the country in September 1881. In modern meteorological records, the deadliest storm was Typhoon Haiyan, which became the strongest landfalling tropical cyclone ever recorded as it crossed the Central Philippines on November 7-8, 2013. The wettest known tropical cyclone to impact the archipelago was the July 1418, 1911 cyclone which dropped over 2,210 millimetres (87 in) of rainfall within a [6] 3-day, 15-hour period in Baguio City. Tropical cyclones usually account for at least 30 percent of the annual rainfall in the northern Philippines while being responsible for less than 10 percent of the annual rainfall in the southern islands.
[1]

The Philippines is the most-exposed large country in the world to tropical cyclones, and it has even affected settlement patterns in the northern islands; for example, the eastern coast of Luzon is very sparsely populated.

Meteorological Conditions - A tropical cyclone will affect the locality. - Winds of 30 - 60 kilometers per hour (kph) may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours. (When the tropical cyclone develops very close to the locality - a shorter lead time of the occurrence of the winds will be specified in the warning bulletin)

Impact of the Winds - Twigs and branches of small trees may be broken. - Some banana plants may be tilted or downed. - Some houses of very light materials (nipa and cogon) may be partially unroofed. - Unless this warning signal is upgraded during the entire existence of the tropical cyclone, only very light or no damage at all may be sustained by the exposed communities. - Rice crop, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage.

Precautionary Measures - When the tropical cyclone is strong or is intensifying and is moving closer, this signal may be upgraded to the next higher level. - The waves on coastal waters may gradually develop and become bigger and higher. - The people are advised to listen to the latest severe weather bulletin issued by PAGASA every six (6) hours. In the meantime, business may be carried out as usual except when floods occur. - Disaster preparedness is activated to alert status.

Meteorological Conditions - A tropical cyclone will affect the locality.

- Winds of 30 - 60 kilometers per hour (kph) may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours. (When the tropical cyclone develops very close to the locality - a shorter lead time of the occurrence of the winds will be specified in the warning bulletin)

Impact of the Winds - Twigs and branches of small trees may be broken. - Some banana plants may be tilted or downed. - Some houses of very light materials (nipa and cogon) may be partially unroofed. - Unless this warning signal is upgraded during the entire existence of the tropical cyclone, only very light or no damage at all may be sustained by the exposed communities. - Rice crop, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage.

Precautionary Measures - When the tropical cyclone is strong or is intensifying and is moving closer, this signal may be upgraded to the next higher level. - The waves on coastal waters may gradually develop and become bigger and higher. - The people are advised to listen to the latest severe weather bulletin issued by PAGASA every six (6) hours. In the meantime, business may be carried out as usual except when floods occur. - Disaster preparedness is activated to alert status.

Meteorological Conditions - A tropical cyclone will affect the locality. - Winds greater than 100 kph up to 185 kph may be expected in at least 18 hours. Impact of the Winds

- Many coconut trees may be broken or destroyed. - Almost all banana plants may be downed and a large number of trees may be uprooted. - Rice and corn crops may suffer heavy losses. - Majority of all nipa and cogon houses may be unroofed or destroyed and there may be considerable damage to structures of light to medium construction. - There may be widespread disruption of electrical power and communication services (including the Internet). - In general, moderate to heavy damage may be expected, practically in the agricultural and industrial sectors.

Precautionary Measures - The disturbance is dangerous to the communities threatened / affected. - The sea and coastal waters will be very dangerous to all types of seacrafts. - Travel is very risky especially by sea and air. - People are advised to seek shelter in strong buildings, evacuate low-lying areas and to stay away from the coasts and river banks. - Watch out for the passage of the "eye" of the typhoon indicated by a sudden occurrence of fair weather immediately after very bad weather with very strong winds coming generally from the north. - When the "eye" of the typhoon hit the community, do not venture away from the safe shelter because after one(1) to two(2) hours - the worst weather will resume with the very strong winds coming from the south. - Classes in all levels should be suspended and children should stay in the safety of strong buildings and evacuation centers. - Disaster preparedness and response agencies / organizations are in action with appropriate response to actual emergency.

Meteorological Condition - A very intense typhoon will affect the locality. - Very strong winds of more than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours.

Impact of the Winds - Coconut plantation may suffer extensive damage. - Many large trees may be uprooted. - Rice and corn plantation may suffer severe losses. - Most residential and institutional buildings of mixed construction may be severely damaged. - Electrical power distribution and communication services (including Internet) may be severely disrupted. - In the overall, damage to affected communities can be very heavy.

Precautionary Measures - The situation is potentially very destructive to the community. - All travels and outdoor activities should be canceled. - Evacuation to much safer shelters should have been completed since it may be too late under this situation. - With PSWS No. 4, the locality is very likely to be hit directly by the "eye" of the typhoon. As the "eye" of the typhoon approaches, the weather will continuously worsen with the winds increasing to its strongest coming generally from the north. Then a sudden improvement of the weather with light winds (a lull) will be experienced. This means that the "eye" of the typhoon is over the locality. This improved weather may last for one(1) to two(2) hours - depending on the diameter of the "eye" and the speed of movement. As the "eye" moves out of the locality, the worst weather experienced before the lull will suddenly commence. This time the very strong winds will come generally from the south. - The Disaster Coordinating Councils concerned and other disaster response organizations are now fully responding to emergencies and in full readiness to immediately response to possible calamity

typhoon

typhoon ( a u )

[Greek tuphn, whirlwind, and Arabic fn, deluge (from Greek tuphn), and Chinese (Cantonese) taafung (equivalent to Chinese (Mandarin) ti, great + Chinese (Mandarin) fng, wind).] a violent tropical storm or cyclone, esp in the China seas and W Pacific a violent tropical storm or cyclone, esp in the China seas and W Pacific

Thesaurus
Noun 1. typhoon - a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans cyclone - a violent rotating windstorm