Cyclone,
typhoon and hurricane are different names for the same basic weather
phenomenon. It is normally accompanied
by torrential rain and maximum sustained wind speeds (near centre) exceeding
119 kilometers per hour:
- Hurricanes - In the western North Atlantic, central and eastern North Pacific, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico
- Typhoons - In the western North Pacific.
- Cyclones - In the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
- Severe tropical cyclones - In western South Pacific and southeast India Ocean.
- Tropical cyclones - In the southwest India Ocean.
Typhoons
and hurricanes and cyclones all rotate in the same direction, counterclockwise,
if they form in the Northern Hemisphere.
Clockwise-rotating storms are more common in the Indian Ocean
and off the coast of Australia.
Reason
to Name Tropical Cyclones
Tropical
cyclones are given short and distinctive names instead of latitude-longitude
identification methods to reduce confusion when two or more tropical storms
occur at the same time. The name list is
proposed by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of
WMO (World Meteorological Organization) Members of a specific region, and
approved by the respective tropical cyclone regional bodies at their annual/bi-annual
sessions.
Predicting Tropical Cyclones
Meteorologists
around the world use modern technology such as satellites, weather radars and
computers etc. to track tropical cyclones as they develop. Tropical cyclones
are often difficult to predict, as they can suddenly weaken or change their
course. However, meteorologists use state-of-art technologies and develop
modern techniques such as numerical weather prediction models to predict how a
tropical cyclone evolves, including its movement and change of intensity; when
and where one will hit land and at what speed. Official warnings are then
issued by the National Meteorological Services of the countries concerned.
Hurricane Sandy was difficult to
understand at first. The National Weather Service (USA) uses several computer
models to predict a hurricane's path. When the models agree, predictions are
more certain; when they have different outcomes, forecasters are unsure what
will happen. In Sandy's case, the models initially disagreed about whether the
storm would veer off to sea or make for land. By Oct. 25, however, the
differences began clearing and by Oct. 27, all the models agreed that Sandy was
heading toward the U.S. mainland.
When do tropical cyclones occur?
The
typhoon season in the western North Pacific region normally runs from May to
November. The Americas/Caribbean hurricane season runs from June 1 to November
30, peaking in August and September. The cyclone season in South Pacific and
Australia normally runs from November to April. In the Bay of Bengal and
Arabian Sea, tropical cyclones usually occur from April to June, and September
to November. The East Coast of Africa normally experiences tropical cyclones
from November to April.
How about Malaysia?
Do
we experience any tropical cyclones?
How
about monsoon, is it similar to tropical cyclones?
References
- http://www.wmo.int
- http://www.noaa.gov/
- http://www.met.gov.my
- http://www.nasa.gov/
- http://www.utusan.com.my
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