Real Time Tropical Cyclones (2024)

FAQs

How are tropical cyclones categorized based on ________ _________? ›

Hurricanes are further classified according to their wind speed. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity.

Tropical Cyclone Freddy traversed the Indian Ocean Basin from off the northwest coast of Australia to multiple landfalls in Africa from 4 February to 14 March 2023. Due to its prolonged passage near and over land, Freddy was particularly destructive, especially in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique.

Once they make landfall, tropical cyclones can have devastating effects, the severest of which is loss of life. There have been almost 800,000 deaths from tropical cyclones worldwide from 1970 to 2021, an average of 43 deaths per day, making it the deadliest weather-related disaster during that period.

Once winds exceed 74 mph (64 knots, 33 meters per second) it will be designated a hurricane (in the Atlantic or East Pacific Oceans) or a typhoon (in the northern West Pacific).

Once a tropical cyclone reaches maximum sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or higher, it is then classified as a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone, depending upon where the storm originates in the world. In the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific, the term hurricane is used.

Depending on the maximum sustained wind speed, tropical cyclones are designated as follows: Tropical depression is when the maximum sustained wind speed is less than 63 km/h. Tropical storm is when the maximum sustained wind speed is more than 63 km/h. It is then also given a name.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has declared Tropical Cyclone Freddy to be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, at 36 days. Freddy crossed from Australia to Africa from February 4 to March 14, 2023, causing major human and economic losses in the worst-affected countries.

Freddy was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone ever recorded worldwide, and produced the most accumulated cyclone energy—a metric used to measure the total energy generated by tropical cyclones—of any individual cyclone on record globally.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has declared Tropical Cyclone Freddy to be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, at 36 days. Freddy crossed from Australia to Africa from February 4 to March 14, 2023, causing major human and economic losses in the worst-affected countries.

The Galveston Hurricane of August 1900 was the deadliest hurricane in United States history, according to NOAA, causing tremendous destruction and loss of life. An estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people died in the storm, making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

What's the worst storm ever? ›

There were at least 76 tropical cyclones in the 20th century with a death toll of 1,000 or more, including the deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded history. In October 1970, the Bhola cyclone struck what is now Bangladesh and killed at least 300,000 people.

The Great Galveston hurricane made landfall on September 8, 1900, near Galveston, Texas. It had estimated winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) at landfall, making the cyclone a Category 4 storm on the modern day Saffir–Simpson scale.

Tornadoes are also smaller. They are typically no more than half a mile (0.8 km) wide, while hurricanes can measure hundreds of miles wide. But tornadoes do trump hurricanes in terms of wind speed, sometimes reaching 300 mph (483 kph) compared to a maximum of about 200 mph (322 kph) for hurricanes.

The most obvious difference between a tornado and hurricane is that a hurricane's horizontal scale is about a thousand times larger than a tornado. In addition, hurricanes and tornadoes form under different circ*mstances and have different impacts on the atmosphere.

The "eye" is a roughly circular area of comparatively light winds and fair weather found at the center of a severe tropical cyclone. Although the winds are calm at the axis of rotation, strong winds may extend well into the eye.

TROPICAL STORM (TS) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 62 to 88 kph or 34 - 47 knots. SEVERE TROPICAL STORM (STS) , a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 87 to 117 kph or 48 - 63 knots. TYPHOON (TY) - a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed of 118 to 184 kph or 64 - 99 knots.

The severity of a tropical cyclone is ranked in categories from 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest). The category given to a cyclone: is based on its maximum mean wind speed. doesn't indicate the severity of other hazards the cyclone may bring.

Cyclones are categorised according to their strength. There are five categories: Category 1 is the weakest and Category 5 is the strongest. The eye is in the centre of the cyclone and can vary in size from 10 km to 100 km, depending on the severity of the storm.

Definition and terminology

A tropical cyclone is generally deemed to have formed once mean surface winds in excess of 35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph) are observed.