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"Hurricane" and "Typhoon" redirect here. For other uses, see Hurricane (disambiguation) and Typhoon (disambiguation).

In meteorology, a tropical cyclone is a storm system fueled by the heat released when moist air rises and condenses. The name underscores their origin in the tropics and their cyclonic nature (circulation that is counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere). They are distinguished from other cyclonic storms such as nor'easters and polar lows by the heat mechanism that fuels them, which makes them "warm core" storm systems.

Depending on their strength and location, there are various terms by which tropical cyclones are known, such as tropical depression, tropical storm, hurricane, and typhoon.

Tropical cyclones can produce extremely high winds, tornadoes, and torrential rain (leading to mudslides and flash floods), and drive storm surge onto coastal areas. Although the effects on human populations can be catastrophic, tropical cyclones have also been known to relieve drought conditions because they transport enormous amounts of moisture. They carry heat away from the tropics, an important mechanism of the global atmospheric circulation that maintains equilibrium in the earth's troposphere...

Mechanics of tropical cyclones

Structurally, a tropical cyclone is a large, rotating system of clouds, wind, and thunderstorms. Its primary energy source is the release of the heat of condensation from water vapor condensing at high altitudes, the heat ultimately derived from the sun. Therefore, a tropical cyclone can be thought of as a giant vertical heat engine supported by mechanics driven by physical forces such as the rotation and gravity of the earth.[1] In another way, tropical cyclones could be viewed as a special type of Mesoscale Convective Complex, which continues to develop over a vast source of relative warmth and moisture. Condensation leads to higher wind speeds, as a tiny fraction of the released energy is converted into mechanical energy;[2] the faster winds and lower pressure associated with them in turn cause increased surface evaporation and thus even more condensation. Much of the released energy drives updrafts that increase the height of the storm clouds, speeding up condensation.[3] This gives rise to factors that provide the system with enough energy to be self-sufficient and cause a positive feedback loop where it can draw more energy as long as the source of heat, warm water, remains. Factors such as a continued lack of equilibrium in air mass distribution would also give supporting energy to the cyclone. The rotation of the earth causes the system to spin, an effect known as the Coriolis effect, giving it a cyclonic characteristic and affecting the trajectory of the storm...

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