Portal:Tropical cyclones
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The Tropical Cyclones Portal
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center, a closed low-level circulation and a spiral arrangement of numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rainfall. Tropical cyclones feed on the heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such as Nor'easters, European windstorms and polar lows, leading to their classification as "warm core" storm systems. Most tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums, approximately ten degrees from the Equator.
The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, as well as to their formation in maritime tropical air masses. The term "cyclone" refers to such storms' cyclonic nature, with anticlockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on its location and intensity, a tropical cyclone may be referred to by names such as "hurricane", "typhoon", "tropical storm", "cyclonic storm", "tropical depression" or simply "cyclone".
Types of cyclone: 1. A "Typhoon" is a tropical cyclone located in the North-west Pacific Ocean which has the most cyclonic activity and storms occur year-round. 2. A "Hurricane" is also a tropical cyclone located at the North Atlantic Ocean or North-east Pacific Ocean which have an average storm activity and storms typically form between May 15 and November 30. 3. A "Cyclone" is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa was the second Category 5 severe tropical cyclone in 2020 after Harold in the 2019–20 South Pacific cyclone season. Yasa was the second tropical disturbance, as well as the first tropical cyclone and severe tropical cyclone of the 2020–21 South Pacific cyclone season. Yasa was first noted as an area of low pressure to the north of Port Vila in Vanuatu during December 10. Over the next few days, the system gradually developed further as it absorbed Tropical Depression 01F, before it was classified as a tropical cyclone and named Yasa by the Fiji Meteorological Service on December 13.
The system gradually moved through the South Pacific Ocean, going through a small, slow loop whilst rapidly intensifying. In about a day, it became a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale and a few hours later, a Category 5-equivalent cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with 1-minute sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) and a minimum pressure of 917 hPa (27.1 inHg). This made Yasa the earliest Category 5 tropical cyclone on both the Australian and Saffir-Simpson scales in the South Pacific basin since reliable records began, beating the old record by Zoe in 2002–03. (Full article... )
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In North Carolina, the effects of Hurricane Isabel were widespread, with the heaviest damage in Dare County. The hurricane made landfall in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 18, 2003. There, storm surge flooding and strong winds damaged thousands of houses. The storm surge produced a 2,000 feet (610 m) wide inlet on Hatteras Island, isolating Hatteras by road for two months. Several locations along North Carolina Highway 12 were partially washed out or covered with debris. Hurricane Isabel produced hurricane-force wind gusts across eastern North Carolina, knocking down trees and power lines. About 700,000 residents lost power due to the storm, although most outages were restored within a few days. The hurricane killed three people in the state – two due to falling trees, and the other a utility worker attempting to restore electricity. Damage in the state totaled 450ドル million (2003 USD, 788ドル million 2026 USD).
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch, and later warning, for the state's coastline in advance of the hurricane's landfall. Local officials issued evacuation orders for 18 counties, along with various flood warnings. In the aftermath of the hurricane, President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency for 26 counties in the state, which allocated federal resources to the state. Utility crews from nearby states helped restore power. The United States Geological Survey dredged sand to restore the breach on Hatteras Island, with traffic restored about two months after the hurricane. (Full article... )
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The 2018–19 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was a record breaking and devastating season that was the most active season ever recorded in the basin. It was the deadliest cyclone season recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean, surpassing the 1891–92 season in which the 1892 Mauritius cyclone devastated the island of Mauritius, and was the costliest South-West Indian Ocean season at the time until it was surpassed by the 2024-25 season. Most of the fatalities and damage came from Cyclone Idai. The season was an event of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone and subtropical cyclone formation in the South-West Indian Ocean basin. It officially began on 15 November 2018, and ended on 30 April 2019, except for Mauritius and the Seychelles, which it ended on 15 May 2019. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical and subtropical cyclones form in the basin, which is west of 90°E and south of the Equator. Tropical and subtropical cyclones in this basin are monitored by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in Réunion.
The season set a new record of nine intense tropical cyclones, the largest number since the start of reliable satellite coverage in 1967, surpassing the 2006–07 season. Beginning the season early, Moderate Tropical Storm 01 formed during September 2018. Two other systems formed prior to the official start of the season during November—the first intense tropical cyclone and the first named storm, Alcide, and Severe Tropical Storm Bouchra. A pair of intense tropical cyclones—Cilida and Kenanga—persisted in December. In January 2019, Desmond caused damages in Mozambique, and shortly thereafter, Eketsang passed by Madagascar, producing heavy rain and landslides that killed 27. Onto the next month, Funani and Gelena threatened Rodrigues, with the latter disrupting its electricity and causing US1ドル million in damages. (Full article... )
Related portals
Currently active tropical cyclones
Italicized basins are unofficial.
- North Atlantic (2026)
- No active systems
- East and Central Pacific (2026)
- No active systems
- West Pacific (2026)
- No active systems
- North Indian Ocean (2026)
- No active systems
- Mediterranean (2025–26)
- No active systems
- South-West Indian Ocean (2025–26)
- No active systems
- Australian region (2025–26)
- No active systems
- South Pacific (2025–26)
- No active systems
- South Atlantic (2025–26)
- No active systems
Last updated: 16:29, 11 June 2026 (UTC)
Tropical cyclone anniversaries
June 10
- 1974 - Typhoon Dinah made landfall on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Dinah killed 73 people in the Philippines, Hainan and Vietnam.
- 1991 - Cyclone Gritelle (pictured) became a named system, making it the strongest system within the south-west Indian Ocean to form in the month of June, as well as the latest in the cyclone year to be properly named.
June 11
- 1996 - A tropical cyclone (pictured) struck Oman and produced widespread flooding across the Arabian Peninsula, killing 341 people and leaving US1ドル.2 billion in damage.
June 12,
- 1997 - Cyclone Keli , the first post-season tropical cyclone to form in June, reaches peak strength while affecting the Pacific Islands.
- 2004 - Tropical Storm Chanthu (pictured) made landfall in Vietnam, killing seven people. Chanthu caused over 230 mm (9.4 in) of rain.
- 2014 - Hurricane Cristina reaches peak intensity as a Category 4 major hurricane.
Did you know...
- ...that the first recorded instance of two tropical cyclones holding category 5 status, on the Saffir–Simpson scale, simultaneously was on September 11th of the 1961 Pacific typhoon season , with typhoons Pamela and Nancy (pictured)?
- ...that the Australian region have three distinct lists of names for tropical storms, each one of them being administered by agencies in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, respectively?
- ...that the Joint Typhoon Warning Center considers that Typhoon Vera (pictured) of 1986 is actually two distinct systems, formed from two separated low-level circulations?
- ...that Cyclone Freddy (track pictured) in 2023 was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone recorded ?
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Image 1An example of a chart for Matthew showing its five-day forecast track (from Tropical cyclone preparedness )
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Image 2Aerial image of destroyed houses in Tacloban, following Typhoon Haiyan (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 3Hurricane Isabel (2003)'s effect on the North Carolina Outer Banks (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 4Surface weather map of the 1935 Labor Day hurricane moving up the west coast of Florida (from Tropical cyclone observation )
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Image 5The dangerous semicircle is the upper-right corner, with the arrow marking the direction of motion of a Northern Hemisphere storm. Note that typhoons, etc. are asymmetrical, and semicircle is a convenient misnomer. (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 6Effects in Buncombe County, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene passed through the area in September 2024. (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 7Personnel and equipment from the National Guard of the United States en route to Hurricane Florence response efforts in 2018
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Image 10Broken concrete utility pole in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017, which ranks fourth in costliest US tropical cyclones. (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 11Flooding in Port Arthur, Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey. Harvey was the wettest and second-costliest tropical cyclone in United States history. (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 12The initial extratropical low-pressure area forms at the location of the red dot on the image. It is usually perpendicular (at a right angle to) the leaf-like cloud formation seen on satellite during the early stage of cyclogenesis. The location of the axis of the upper level jet stream is in light blue. (from Cyclone )
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Image 13The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. Katrina was the costliest tropical cyclone in United States history. (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 14The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Mississippi. (from Tropical cyclone preparedness )
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Image 15Percentages of hurricane deaths in the United States from 1970 to 1999. (from Effects of tropical cyclones )
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Image 16All but the most expensive bottles of water were sold out at this Publix supermarket before Hurricane Irma; in the week preceding the storm, water sold out soon after shipments arrived (from Tropical cyclone preparedness )
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Image 17Comparison between extratropical and tropical cyclones on surface analysis (from Cyclone )
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Image 20Hurricane response involves working in hazardous conditions, including contamination and electrocution hazards from floodwater.
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Image 21A fictitious synoptic chart of an extratropical cyclone affecting the UK and Ireland. The blue arrows between isobars indicate the direction of the wind, while the "L" symbol denotes the centre of the "low". Note the occluded, cold and warm frontal boundaries. (from Cyclone )
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Image 22Tropical cyclones form when the energy released by the condensation of moisture in rising air causes a positive feedback loop over warm ocean waters. (from Cyclone )
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Image 23An extratropical cyclone near Iceland (from Cyclone )
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Image 24Chart with concurrent information for Hurricane Arlene and Tropical Storm Bret logged and plotted (from Tropical cyclone preparedness )
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Image 25Radar image of Hurricane Erika making landfall over Northeastern Mexico (from Tropical cyclone observation )
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Image 26Wind damage varies exponentially with wind speed, so that small increases in wind strength can dramatically increase damage. Damages rise by about a factor of four for every category increase in the Saffir–Simpson scale. (from Cyclone )
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The 1972 Atlantic hurricane season was a cycle of the annual tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. It was a significantly below average season, having only four fully tropical named storms. The season officially began on June 1, 1972 and ended on November 30, 1972. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most tropical systems form. However, storm formation is possible at any time of the year, as demonstrated in 1972 by the formation of Subtropical Storm Alpha on May 23. The season's final storm, Subtropical Storm Delta, dissipated on November 7. The season produced nineteen tropical or subtropical cyclones, of which seven intensified into tropical or subtropical storms; three became hurricanes, of which Betty, with sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and an atmospheric pressure of 976 mbar (28.82 inHg), was the strongest.
This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included. (Full article... )
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Related WikiProjects
WikiProject Tropical cyclones is the central point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of tropical cyclones. Feel free to help!
WikiProject Weather is the main center point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of meteorology in general, and the parent project of WikiProject Tropical cyclones. Three other branches of WikiProject Weather in particular share significant overlaps with WikiProject Tropical cyclones:
- The Non-tropical storms task force coordinates most of Wikipedia's coverage on extratropical cyclones, which tropical cyclones often transition into near the end of their lifespan.
- The Floods task force takes on the scope of flooding events all over the world, with rainfall from tropical cyclones a significant factor in many of them.
- WikiProject Severe weather documents the effects of extreme weather such as tornadoes, which landfalling tropical cyclones can produce.
Things you can do
- Article requests : WikiProject Tropical cyclones article requests
- Expand : Indianola Hurricane of 1886, Typhoon Nina (1975)
- Stubs : Expand Tropical cyclone stub articles
- Wikify : Make sure tropical cyclone lists, such as List of Texas hurricanes, have storm articles properly linked
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