Tropical cyclones are named based on their location. In the Northwest Pacific Ocean—affecting countries like the Philippines, Japan, China and Vietnam—these powerful storms are called “Typhoons.” While they are scientifically the same as hurricanes, the name “Typhoon” is specific to ...
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The T-scale (part of the Dvorak Technique) is used to estimate the intensity of tropical cyclones. It uses satellite imagery to analyze the cloud patterns and the structure of the “eye.” By assigning a “T-number” (from 1.0 to 8.0), meteorologists ...
At high altitudes, air is “free” and balances perfectly between pressure and the Coriolis force, blowing parallel to isobars. Near the ground, however, friction from trees and buildings slows the wind down. Since the Coriolis force depends on speed, it ...
Frontal rainfall occurs when a warm air mass meets a cold air mass, a process central to “Extratropical” cyclonic activity. In this interaction, the lighter warm air is forced to rise over the denser cold air. As the warm air ...
The “eye” is the trademark characteristic of a mature tropical cyclone (also called a hurricane or typhoon). While temperate cyclones have low-pressure centers, they rarely develop the clear, calm and well-defined circular eye that tropical cyclones do. This feature is ...