Tropical cyclones are rapidly rotating storm systems. which rotate _counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere_, around a center of low pressure.

As the name implies, the tropical cyclone originates in the tropical regions of our planet. Since cyclonic circulation and relatively low atmospheric pressure often coexist, it is common to use the terms cyclone and low interchangeably.

In temperate latitudes, cyclones are called depressions or extratropical cyclones. and the term cyclone is only used to refer to tropical cyclones.

They are generally slow but strong, with wind speeds between 120 and 320 kilometers per hour.

denominations

They have different names depending on where they occur:

The tropical cyclone originates from the tropical regions of our planet.

Tropical cyclones are among the most dangerous and destructive weather systems on Earth. While the structure and function of a mature tropical storm are known, its origins are still not well understood.

The preceding stage of a tropical cyclone is known in America as a tropical disturbance; tropical cyclones are characterized by a closed circulation of their winds and they are divided into phases according to the speed of their Maximum Sustained Surface Wind (VMS):

Course

Cyclones are formed and more intense when they are over tropical or subtropical oceans in both hemispheres the rotational force of the earth (Coriolis) is strong enough to initiate the rotational motion around the low-pressure center and whose surface water temperature is 27°C or higher.

When a tropical cyclone reaches tropical storm status, has been appointed to facilitate communication between meteorologists and the general public regarding forecasts, warnings and alerts.

The names may reduce confusion over the described storm, as cyclones can last a week or more and more than one can be present in the same ocean at the same time.

Violent cyclones are among the most devastating natural disasters and can cause serious damage to coastal populations and claim human lives.. However, they provide essential rainfall for much of the country they traverse.

Cyclone-related deaths are mostly due to flooding, but also electrocution, collapsed structures, and flying debris.

The energy of tropical cyclones comes primarily from heat and moisture transferred from the ocean to the air in the lower levels of the atmosphere. While the center of the cyclone remains above warm water, the energy supply is enormous.

As more and more moist air moves into the center of the storm to replace the rapidly rising warm air as clouds, more heat is released into the atmosphere through condensation of water vapor and wind circulation continues to increase.

Hurricane strength ranges from Category 1 to 5. Photo: Pixabay

In the Costa region, a March with rain, thunderstorms and gusts of wind is expected

Intense rains and storms will continue on the coast and Amazon, Inamhi predicts

phases

The evolution of a tropical cyclone can be divided into four stages:

power level

Based on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, used in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, North Atlantic, and eastern and central North Pacific, hurricane strength ranges from Category 1 to Category 5:

Cyclone Yaku in Peru will affect the continuation of intense rains in part of the Ecuadorian coast

An unusual cyclone with tropical characteristics forms off the northern coast of Peru

Rare phenomenon in South America

The northern part of the Atlantic Ocean offers ideal conditions for hurricanes to form, but that does not happen below the equator. Also, tropical cyclones do not normally form if they are not at least 500 kilometers from the equator because the Coriolis effect is too weak for the winds to shift and form a hurricane.

“The South Atlantic is calmer because there is no tropical wave – it is a more common phenomenon in the Northern Hemisphere – and there are more variations in wind speed and direction, something that inhibits hurricane formation,” he explains. BBC World Gary M. Barnes, retired professor at the University of Hawaii, United States.

Although a phenomenon that occurs very rarely in South America, hurricanes have been recorded on the southern coast of Brazil. In 2004, Tropical Cyclone Catarina killed 11 and displaced more than 30,000 people.

Sources: National Center for Disaster Prevention of Mexico; Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico; World Meteorological Organization; BBC; IFRC