Portal:Tropical cyclones
Tropical Cyclones Portal
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and 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 fuelled 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. Tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums near the Equator, approximately 10 degrees away.
The term 'tropical' refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, and 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 can be referred to by names such as 'hurricane', 'typhoon', 'tropical storm', 'cyclonic storm', 'tropical depression', or simply 'cyclone'.
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Hurricane Gilbert was an extremely powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season and wrought widespread destruction in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the second most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin behind only Hurricane Wilma of the extremely active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Gilbert was also one of the largest tropical cyclones ever observed in the Atlantic basin. At one point, its tropical storm-force winds measured 588 mi (946 km) in diameter. In addition, Gilbert was the most intense tropical cyclone in recorded history to strike Mexico.
The seventh named storm and third hurricane of the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season, Gilbert developed from a tropical wave on September 8 while located 400 mi (640 km) east of Barbados. Following intensification into a tropical storm the next day, Gilbert steadily strengthened as it tracked west-northwestward into the Caribbean Sea. On September 10, Gilbert attained hurricane intensity, and rapidly intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on September 11. After striking Jamaica the following day, rapid intensification occurred once again, and the storm became a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale late on September 13. Gilbert weakened slightly, and made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula later that day while maintaining Category 5 intensity. After landfall, Gilbert weakened rapidly over the Yucatan Peninsula, and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 on September 15. Gradual intensification occurred as Gilbert tracked across the Gulf of Mexico, and the storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in mainland Mexico on September 16. The hurricane gradually weakened after landfall, and eventually dissipated on September 19 over the Midwestern United States. Gilbert inflicted $7.1 billion in damage.
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Crewmembers on the Space Shuttle Endeavour captured this image around Noon CDT of Hurricane Dean in the Caribbean. At the time the shuttle and International Space Station passed overhead, the Category 4 storm was moving westerly at 17 mph nearing Jamaica carrying sustained winds of 150 mph.
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WikiProject Tropical cyclones is the central point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of tropical cyclones. Feel free to help!
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Did you know…
- … that Hurricane Faith (pictured) was tracked until it was located 600 miles (965 km) from the North Pole?
- …that from the formation of the low that would become Cyclone Katrina and the dissipation of it as Cyclone Victor–Cindy passed 51 days? (track pictured)
- …that since 2011 the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center has assigned names to tropical and subtropical systems in the South Atlantic, when they have sustained wind speeds of at least 65 km/h (40 mph)?
- …that, although being the second most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean basin in terms of atmospheric pressure, Cyclone Chris-Damia (pictured) never attained the highest categories in either Météo-France or Saffir–Simpson wind scales?
Tropical cyclone anniversaries
- July 27, 1943 - A US Air Force pilot flew his North American T-6 Texan trainer directly into the 1943 Surprise Hurricane (track pictured) off the Gulf Coast of the United States, making it the first hurricane entered by reconnaissance aircraft.
- July 28, 1996 - Hurricane Cesar–Douglas (pictured) made landfall in Nicaragua. Cesar killed 67 people and caused over $39 million of damage.
- July 29, 2004 - Hurricane Darby (pictured) reached its peak intensity with 195 km/h (120 mph) winds in the open Pacific Ocean. Darby later brought heavy rain to Hawaii.
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