CYCLONES
or
TROPICAL
REVOLVING
STORM
It is defined as a roughly
circular atmospheric vortex
(a spinning, turbulent, fluid
flow), originating in the
tropics or sub tropics.
The
term
Tropical
Depression can be used in
a general sense to cover
any
Depression
in
the
tropics whatever be its
COMMON FEATURES
between
MID LATITUDE
DEPRESSIONS
and
TROPICAL CYCLONES
with
Low
DIFFERENCE
between
MID LATITUDE
DEPRESSIONS
and
TROPICAL CYCLONES
TROPICAL
LATITUDE
REVOLVING
STORM
MID
DEPRESSION
Diameter 400
1000
to 500 nm.
Diameter
to 2000 nm.
Pressure
Pressure
TROPICAL
REVOLVING
STORM
MID LATITUDE
DEPRESSION
Winds stronger.
stronger.
Winds less
Increase of wind
Increase of
wind speed slow at first,
speed
gradual
then more & more
almost
uniform
rapidly to about 90
increase
from
DEGREES
of INTENSITY
of
TROPICAL
DEPRESSIONS
Term
Wind
Beaufort Closed
(knots)
Isobars
Low
Pressure
Area
< 17
Depression 18 - 27
2
Force
1
6
Term
Wind
Beaufort Closed
(knots)
Isobars
Cyclonic
Storm 34 47
34
(Moderate
Tropical
Storm)
Severe
Cyclonic
Force
89
Term
Wind
Beaufort Closed
(knots)
Isobars
Severe
Cyclonic
Storm
56
with a
more
core of
> 64
Force
12
&
AREAS of
TRS
FORMATION
NAME
TYPHOON /
CORDONAZO
to lower California
Jun to
NAME
South
China Sea,
Philippines,
Caroline
Islands,
Taiwan
TYPHOON /
BAGUIOS
SEASON
May to Nov
NAME
Queensland
to Apr
Coast
HURRICANE
Dec
NAME
HURRICANE
Jun to Nov
The
sea
surface
temperatures
of
the South Atlantic
ocean are generally
too cool and the
vertical wind shear
very strong; thus
not favouring the
formation of a TRS.
NAME
CYCLONE
Dec
NAME
WILLY- WILLY
Dec
BAY OF BENGAL
AREA
SEASON
A & N Islands,
Indian Coast,
Myanmar,
to May
Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka
NAME
CYCLONE
Apr
Oct to Dec
ARABIAN SEA
AREA
SEASON
Lakshadweep
Islands,
Indian Coast,
to May
Arabian Coast
Dec
NAME
CYCLONE
Apr
Oct to
INSTITUTIONS
MONITORING
TRS
N E Pacific
N C Pacific
Centre
N W Pacific
Agency
Northern Atlantic
Hurricane
National
MOVEMENT
of TRS
CONDITIONS
FAVOURABLE
for
FORMATION of
a
2 pre-requisites
are necessary for
the formation of a
TRS
A sufficiently large
sea area with SST
27 C and MORE
The
location
should
be
sufficiently removed from the
Equator for the Coriolis Force
to be effective.
Latitude at which formation
takes place is not less than
5 N or S from the Equator
(Min distance of 500 km /
300 miles).
Remnants of a Depression
of whatever origin after
crossing a land re-enters
sea with SST of 27 C.
E.g. Typhoons in South
China Sea enter Andaman
Sea after crossing the
land.
STRUCTURE
of a
TRS
Immediately surrounding
the EYE is the EYE WALL.
This EYE WALL forms an
annulus, some 15 n. miles
wide.
WIND and
WEATHER
in
12
0
11
0
10
0
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 2010
10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 8
LAND FALL
For
emergency
preparedness,
actions
should be timed from when a
certain
wind
speed
or
intensity of rainfall will reach
land, not from when landfall
will occur.
WEATHER
over
SHIP
ACTION
Bulletins
issued
by
Met
services
detail
not
only
Tropical Cyclones but also the
preceding stages of Tropical
Depressions and Storms.
Ships must collect, analyze
and update this data in order
to determine the best course
to follow.
In
addition
to
this
forward assessment, the
present
conditions
of
weather and sea state
should be observed by
the
ships,
as
these
provide a cross-check on
the Met bulletins.
Before
the
bulletins
became
available,
a
procedure
called
the
Single Observers Action
was developed as a result
of seafarers experiences,
and this procedure, which
is still relevant covers the
PROCEDURE to ESTABLISH
LOCATION of VESSEL in a
TRS.
WARNING SIGNS of
PRESENCE
of a TRS.
EVASIVE ACTION to be
TAKEN
TROPICAL
CYCLONE
TERMINOLOGY
TRACK
The route over
which a
TRS has
already passed.
PATH
The expected
movement
of the TRS.
TROUGH The line of lowest
barometric
of
DANGEROUS
SEMI CIRCLE
3. The
WIND
in
the
CENTRE
and
the
REAR RIGHT QUADRANT
of the RHSC is parallel
or closely parallel
to
the direction
of travel.
PROCEDURE
to
ESTABLISH
LOCATION
of VESSEL
PRESSURE
BEARING
BELOW MEAN
05 hPa
Points
12
WIND DIRN
Veering
Navigable
VESSELS POSITION
NH
SH
Dangerous
Semicircle
Semicircle
Backing
Dangerous
Navigable
Semicircle
Semicircle
WARNING
SIGNS
of the
PRESENCE
of a TRS
SWELL
Depending upon the extent
of open ocean, an early
indication
of
a
tropical
cyclone
is
the
swell
generated by the winds
within the system.
These swells, generally have
SWELL
They can be observed at
some 600 nm from the
centre.
The direction from which
the swell comes is an
indication of the bearing
SKIES
An unusually clear day may
precede the appearance of
Cirrus cloud with brightly
coloured sunsets/sunrises.
The cloud base subsequently
lowers, with the onset of
showers in the outer regions
ATMOSPHERI
C
A decrease in atmospheric
pressure can indicate the
presence of a tropical
cyclone.
The
typical
diurnal
variation of pressure in
low latitudes is evident
close to and within the
However,
this
is
superimposed
on an overall decrease in
the
pressure.
The following procedure is
recommended
to
determine
3. Compare corrected
reading (2)
with mean
pressure for the time of
year.
If this reading is 3hPa
below the
mean pressure there is a
possibility of a TRS.
DIURNAL VARIATION
of
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE
in the
ZONES of LATITUDE
0 to 10
and
0 to 20 N or S
CAUTION:
When
entering
a
barometric pressure in the log,
or when including it in a wireless
weather report, the correction
for diurnal variation must not be
CALM
WIND WIND
WIND
/
FORC FORCE FORCE
LIGHT
E
8
12
6
- 10 hPa -20 hPa
WIND
-5
200
12
7
1 S 0
hPA
NAUTICAL
MILES
EYE
5
5
5
Slow Fall
Rapid Fall
Diurnal
Diurnal
Very
Variation
Variation
Rapi
Evident
Just
d
Evident
Fall
EVASIVE
ACTION
1.
SEMICIRCLE
ACTION
Dangerous
Place wind 1 4
points on
Bow
Starboard
altering course
to Starboard as the
wind veers.
2. Navigable
Place wind on
or
Starboard
PATH
2
2
DIRN TO
SAIL
1 OUT
DANGEROU
S
SEMI
CIRCLE
WIN
D
DIR
N
NAVIGABLE
DIRN TO
SAIL
SEMI
CIRCLE
DIRN
TO
SAIL
TRACK
Dangerous
Bow
course to
as the wind
backs.
2. Navigable
Port
or
ACTION
Place wind 1 4
points on Port
altering
Port
Place wind on
Quarter
DIRN TO
SAIL
OUT
PATH
2
1
DIRN TO
SAIL
2OUT
NAVIGABLE
WIN
D
DIR
N
SEMI
CIRCLE
DANGEROU
S
SEMI
CIRCLE
DIRN
TO
TRACK
SAIL