FORMATION OF A CYCLONE
In meteorology, the term cyclone is defined as
A system of winds that are rotating inwards to an area of low barometric pressure, such
that in the Northern Hemisphere it is anticlockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere it is
clockwise circulation.
Cyclones are formed with an enormous amount of energy from the ocean to the
atmosphere. According to studies, every year there are 70 to 90 cyclonic systems
developed across the globe. The surface winds get spiralled towards the low-pressure
system due to the Coriolis force. The cyclonic systems are not formed in the equatorial
regions because the Coriolis force is negligible between the latitudes 5 degrees north
and 5 degrees south.
How are Cyclones Formed?
The formation of cyclones takes place in low-pressure areas. The vulnerability of the
place where the cyclone strikes depend on the topography, intensity and frequency of
the cyclone.
There are 6 factors that can be held responsible for the formation of the cyclone:
Ample amount of warm temperature at the surface of the sea.
Instability in the atmosphere.
How the Coriolis force is impacting the area so that low-pressure area can be created.
When the humidity is high in the lower to middle levels of the troposphere.
Disturbance in the pre-existing low-level area.
When the vertical wind shear is low.
In the above diagram, we see how cyclones are formed. The rising of warm air is shown
using the green lines while the cool air sinking is shown using the red arrows.
A cyclone is formed when the warm, moist air rises upward over the ocean. As this air moves up,
there is a formation of a low-pressure area below.
Now the low-pressure area is filled with the high-pressure air from the surroundings. Again, the
next batch of cool air gets warm and moist over the ocean moving upward. This once again
results in the formation of a low-pressure area. The cycle continues.
This continuous cycle results in the formation of clouds in the air. More clouds are formed as the
water from the ocean evaporates.
This leads to the formation of the storm system. As the storm system rotates faster, an eye is
formed in the centre. The eye of the storm is considered to be the calm and clear part. The air
pressure in the eye of the storm is low.
Depending on the strength of the winds produced, the cyclones are divided into different classes.
What are the Types of Cyclones?
There are 4 types of cyclones and they are:
Tropical cyclone
Polar cyclone
Mesocyclone
Extratropical cyclone
Tropical Cyclone
The regions where the tropical cyclone occurs are over the tropical ocean. Hurricanes
and typhoons are the two types of tropical cyclone. Atlantic and Northeast Pacific are
the regions where hurricanes are found. Whereas, in the Northwest Pacific, typhoons
are found. A tropical cyclone is divided into 5 categories depending on the intensity and
the wind speed.
Polar Cyclone
The polar cyclone is also known as the “Arctic hurricane” in the Northern Hemisphere.
This is due to their energy sources. The heat is transferred from water to air and the
latent heat is released in the form of cloud condensation. The forecast of the polar
cyclone is difficult as they take less than 24 hours, and they are formed quickly. They
are formed over the Arctic and Antarctic seas.
Mesocyclone
The mesocyclone is considered to be one of the strong thunderstorms. The
mesocyclone is found within the convective storm in the form of a vortex of air. The air
rises and rotates along the vertical axis. The direction of this air and the low-pressure
system are the same in the given hemisphere. The mesocyclone is accompanied by the
rotating air within the thunderstorm.
Extratropical Cyclone
The cyclones that are formed in the middle latitudes along the frontal boundaries are
either known as extratropical cyclones or mid-latitude cyclones. The winds of the
extratropical cyclone are weaker however, the temperature gradients are sharp. The
nor’easter is an example of an extratropical cyclone that impacts the east coast of the
United States.
