A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical

damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment. A disaster can be ostensively defined as any tragic event with great loss stemming from events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents, fires, orexplosions. In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately managed risk. These risks are the product of hazards and vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability [1] are not considered a disaster, as is the case in uninhabited regions.

A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard (e.g., flood, tornado, hurricane, volcanic eruption, earthquake, heatwave, or landslide). It leads to financial, environmental or human losses. The resulting loss depends on the vulnerability of the affected population to resist the hazard, also called [1] their resilience. This understanding is concentrated in the formulation: "disasters occur when hazards [2] meetvulnerability." Thus a natural hazard will not result in a natural disaster in areas without [3] vulnerability, e.g. strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has consequently been [4] disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement. A concrete example of the division between a natural hazard and a natural disaster is that the 1906 San Francisco earthquakewas a disaster, whereas earthquakes are a hazard. This article gives an introduction to notn meteorology,

a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwisein the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale cyclonic [3][4] circulations are centered on areas of low atmospheric pressure. The largest low-pressure systems are cold-core polar cyclones and extratropical cyclones which lie on thesynoptic scale. Warm-core cyclones such as tropical cyclones, mesocyclones, and polar lows lie within the [5][6] smaller mesoscale. Subtropical cyclones are of intermediate size. Upper level cyclones can exist without the presence of a surface low, and can pinch off from the base of theTropical Upper Tropospheric Trough during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. Cyclones have also been seen on [7][8] extraterrestrial planets, such as Mars and Neptune.

[1][2]

Cyclogenesis describes the process of cyclone formation and intensification. Extratropical cyclones form as waves in large regions of enhanced mid-latitude temperature contrasts calledbaroclinic zones. These zones contract to form weather fronts as the cyclonic circulation closes and intensifies. Later in their life cycle, cyclones occlude as cold core systems. A cyclone's track is guided over the course of its 2 to 6 day life cycle by the steering flow of the cancer or subtropical jet stream.

[9]

Weather fronts separate two masses of air of different densities and are associated with the most prominent meteorological phenomena. Air masses separated by a front may differ in temperature or humidity. Strong cold fronts typically feature narrow bands of thunderstorms andsevere weather, and may on occasion be preceded by squall lines or dry lines. They form west of the circulation center and generally move from west to east. Warm fronts form east of the cyclone center and are usually preceded by stratiform precipitation and fog. They movepoleward ahead of the cyclone path. Occluded fronts form late in the cyclone life cycle near the center of the cyclone and often wrap around the storm center.

Tropical cyclogenesis describes the process of development of tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones form [10] due to latent heat driven by significant thunderstorm activity, and are warm core. Cyclones can transition between extratropical, subtropical, and tropical phases under the right conditions. Mesocyclones form as warm core cyclones over land, and can lead [11] to tornado formation. Waterspouts can also form from mesocyclones, but more often develop from [12] environments of high instability and low vertical wind shear.

able natural disasters, refer to tStructure There are a number of structural characteristics common to all cyclones.The cyclones have high pressure [13] outside and low pressure inside. A cyclone is a low pressure area. A cyclone's center (often known in a [13] mature tropical cyclone as the eye), is the area of lowest atmospheric pressure in the region. Near the center, the pressure gradient force (from the pressure in the center of the cyclone compared to the pressure outside the cyclone) and the force from the Coriolis effect must be in an approximate balance, or [14] the cyclone would collapse on itself as a result of the difference in pressure. Because of the Coriolis effect, the wind flow around a large cyclone is counterclockwise in the Northern [15] Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the fastest winds relative to the surface of the Earth therefore occur on the eastern side of a northward-moving cyclone and [16] on the northern side of a westward-moving one; the opposite occurs in the Southern Hemisphere. (The

wind flow around an anticyclone, on the other hand, is clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.)

he list of natural disasters for a comprehensive listing h.H ow Cyclones are formed

The development cycle of tropical cyclones may be divided into three stages: i) Formation and Initial Development Stage The formation/ initial development of a cyclonic storm depends upon various conditions. These are: A warm sea (temperature in excess of 26 degrees Celsius to a depth of 60 m) with abundant and turbulent transfer of water vapour to the overlying atmosphere by evaporation. Atmospheric instability encourages formation of massive vertical cumulus clouds due to convection with condensation of rising air above ocean surface. ii) Mature Tropical Cyclones When the tropical storm intensifies, the air rises in vigorous thunderstorms and tends to spread out horizontally at the tropopause level. Once air spreads out, a positive perturbation pressure at high levels is produced, which accelerates the downward motion of air due to convection. With the inducement of subsidence, air warms up by compression and a warm eye is generated. Generally, the eye of the storms has three basic shapes: (a) circular; (b) concentric; and (c) elliptical. The main physical feature of a mature tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean is a concentric pattern of highly turbulent giant cumulus thundercloud bands. iii) Modification and Decay A tropical cyclone begins to weaken in terms of its central low pressure, internal warmth and extremely high speeds, as soon as its source of warm moist air begins to ebb, or is abruptly cut off. This happens after the landfall or when it passes over cold waters. The weakening of a cyclone does not mean the danger to life and property is over.

i) Before the Cyclone season:

Check the house; secure loose tiles, carry out repair works for doors and windows Remove dead woods or dying trees close to the house; anchor removable objects like lumber piles, loose tin sheds, loose bricks, garbage cans, sign-boards etc. which can fly in strong winds Keep some wooden boards ready so that glass windows can be boarded if needed Keep a hurricane lantern filled with kerosene, battery operated torches and enough dry cells

Demolish condemned buildings Keep some extra batteries for transistors Keep some dry non-perishable food always ready for emergency use (ii) When the Cyclone starts Listen to the radio (All India Radio stations give weather warnings). Keep monitoring the warnings. This will help you to prepare for a cyclone emergency. Pass on the information to others. Ignore rumours and do not spread them; this will help to avoid panic situations. Believe in the official information When a cyclone alert is on for your area continue normal working but stay alert to the radio warnings. Remember that a cyclone alert means that the danger is within 24 hours. Stay alert. When your area is under cyclone warning get away from low-lying beaches or other low-lying areas close to the coast Leave early before your way to high ground or shelter gets flooded Do not delay and run the risk of being marooned If your house is securely built on high ground take shelter in the safer part of the house. However, if asked to evacuate do not hesitate to leave the place. Board up glass windows or put storm shutters in place. Provide strong suitable support for outside doors. If you do not have wooden boards handy, paste paper strips on glasses to prevent splinters. However, this may not avoid breaking windows. Get extra food, which can be eaten without cooking. Store extra drinking water in suitably covered vessels. If you are to evacuate the house move your valuable articles to upper floors to minimize flood damage. Have hurricane lantern, torches or other emergency lights in working conditions and keep them handy.

Small and loose things, which can fly in strong winds, should be stored safely in a room. Be sure that a window and door can be opened only on the side opposite to the one facing the wind. Make provision for children and adults requiring special diets. If the centre of the cyclone is passing directly over your house there will be a lull in the wind and rain lasting for half and hour or so. During this time do not go out; because immediately after that very strong winds will blow from the opposite direction. Switch off electrical mains in your house. Remain calm.

structure
There are a number of structural characteristics common to all cyclones.The cyclones have high pressure [13] outside and low pressure inside. A cyclone is a low pressure area. A cyclone's center (often known in a [13] mature tropical cyclone as the eye), is the area of lowest atmospheric pressure in the region. Near the center, the pressure gradient force (from the pressure in the center of the cyclone compared to the pressure outside the cyclone) and the force from the Coriolis effect must be in an approximate balance, or [14] the cyclone would collapse on itself as a result of the difference in pressure. Because of the Coriolis effect, the wind flow around a large cyclone is counterclockwise in the Northern [15] Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the fastest winds relative to the surface of the Earth therefore occur on the eastern side of a northward-moving cyclone and [16] on the northern side of a westward-moving one; the opposite occurs in the Southern Hemisphere. (The wind flow around an anticyclone, on the other hand, is clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.)

There are six main types of cyclones: Polar cyclones, Polar lows, Extratropical cyclones, Subtropical cyclones, Tropical cyclones, andMesocyclones [edit]Polar

cyclone
[26]

Main article: Polar cyclone A polar, sub-polar, or Arctic cyclone (also known as a polar vortex) is a vast area of low pressure [27] which strengthens in the winter and weakens in the summer. A polar cyclone is a low pressure weather system, usually spanning 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) to 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi), in which the air circulates in a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere, and a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the polar cyclone has two centers on average. One [26] center lies near Baffin Island and the other over northeast Siberia. In the southern hemisphere, it tends

to be located near the edge of the Ross ice shelf near 160 west longitude. When the polar vortex is strong, westerly flow descends to the Earth's surface. When the polar cyclone is weak, significant cold [29] outbreaks occur. [edit]Polar

[28]

low

Main article: Polar low A polar low is a small-scale, short-lived atmospheric low pressure system (depression) that is found over the ocean areas poleward of the main polar front in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. During winter, when cold-core lows with temperatures in the mid-levels of the troposphere reach 45 C (49 F) move over open waters, deep convection forms which allows polar low development to [30] become possible. The systems usually have a horizontal length scale of less than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) and exist for no more than a couple of days. They are part of the larger class of mesoscale weather systems. Polar lows can be difficult to detect using conventional weather reports and are a hazard to high-latitude operations, such as shipping and gas and oil platforms. Polar lows have been referred to by many other terms, such as polar mesoscale vortex, Arctic hurricane, Arctic low, and cold air depression. Today the term is usually reserved for the more vigorous systems that have nearsurface winds of at least 17 m/s.

An extratropical cyclone is a synoptic scale low pressure weather system that has neithertropical nor polar characteristics, being connected with fronts and [32] horizontal gradients intemperature and dew point otherwise known as "baroclinic zones". The descriptor "extratropical" refers to the fact that this type of cyclone generally occurs outside of the tropics, in the middle latitudes of the planet. These systems may also be described as "mid-latitude cyclones" due to their area of formation, or "post-tropical cyclones" where extratropical transition has [32][33] occurred, and are often described as "depressions" or "lows" by weather forecasters and the general public. These are the everyday phenomena which along with anti-cyclones, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Although extratropical cyclones are almost always classified as baroclinic since they form along zones of temperature and dewpoint gradient within the westerlies, they can sometimes becomebarotropic late in their life cycle when the temperature distribution around the cyclone becomes fairly uniform with [34] radius. An extratropical cyclone can transform into a subtropical storm, and from there into a tropical [10] cyclone, if it dwells over warm waters and develops central convection, which warms its core.

A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical cycloneand some characteristics of an extratropical cyclone. They can form between the equator and the 50th [35] parallel. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical cyclones or extratropical cyclones, and used terms such as quasi-tropical and semi-tropical to [36] describe the cyclone hybrids. By 1972, the National Hurricane Center officially recognized this cyclone [37] category. Subtropical cyclones began to receive names off the official tropical cyclone list in the [35] Atlantic Basin in 2002. They have broad wind patterns with maximum sustained winds located farther from the center than typical tropical cyclones, and exist in areas of weak to moderate temperature [35] gradient. Since they form from initially extratropical cyclones which have colder temperatures aloft than normally found in the tropics, the sea surface temperatures required for their formation are lower than the tropical cyclone threshold by three degrees Celsius, or five degrees Fahrenheit, lying around 23 degrees [38] Celsius. This means that subtropical cyclones are more likely to form outside the traditional bounds of the hurricane season. Although subtropical storms rarely have hurricane-force winds, they may become [39] tropical in nature as their cores warm. [edit]Tropical

Cyclone Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from theInternational Space Station on March 26, 2004

Main article: Tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerousthunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain. A tropical cyclone feeds on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapour contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such asnor'easters, European [10] windstorms, and polar lows, leading to their classification as "warm core" storm systems. The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, and their formation in Maritime Tropical air masses. The term "cyclone" refers to such storms' cyclonic nature, with counterclockwise rotation in theNorthern Hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on their location and strength, tropical cyclones are referred to by other names, such as hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, or simply as a cyclone. A tropical cyclone is generally referred to as a hurricane (from the name of the ancient Central American deity of wind, Huracan) in the Atlantic basin, and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific.

A mesocyclone is a vortex of air, 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in diameter [45] (themesoscale of meteorology), within a convective storm. Air rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in both northern and southern hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, that is, associated with a localized low-pressure region within [46] a supercell. Such storms can feature strong surface winds and severe hail. Mesocyclones often occur together with updrafts in supercells, where tornadoes may form. About 1700 mesocyclones form annually [11 across the United States, but only half produce tornadoes.