What are tropical storms also known as?

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Depending ocolouredthey form, tropical storms are also known as hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons.

Key points

• Tropical storms form over warm oceans and travel from east to west.

• Tropical storms bring with them high winds, rain and storm surges.

• Tropical storms can cause large-scale damage and danger to life.

What are tropical storms?

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are all names used to refer to violent, rotating, tropical storms.

The term for these storms changes, depending on where they occur. If they form over the Atlantic Ocean or the Eastern Pacific Ocean, they are called hurricanes.

If they occur in the Far East, near places such as Japan, they are known as typhoons and if they occur in the Indian Ocean they are known as cyclones.

Tropical storm world map

Figure caption,

A map of the world, with coloured areas showing where different storms form

How tropical storms form

For a tropical storm to form, there needs to be a warm ocean (27 °C or above) and light winds.

As tropical storms require warm oceans, they are normally found in tropical regions between 5° and 30° north and south of the equator where the water is warmest.

They usually form in the late summer when sea temperatures are at their highest.

The formation of a tropical storm

• Step 1: Warm air rises from the ocean. As the warm air rises it leaves a space below it called an area of low pressure. This space is instantly filled by surrounding air rushing in causing strong winds.

• Step 2: The air that has rushed in now warms up and rises too. This rising air brings with it moisture. This moisture cools and condenses to form towering storm clouds. This forms the eye wall.

Image caption,

The storm clouds of hurricane Sally approaching the Florida coast in 2000

• Step 3 – When the cooled air descends it will form an area of calm in the centre called the eye.

• Step 4 – Due to the winds near the equator the tropical storm starts to move from east to west. The spin of the Earth causes these winds to curve and leads to the storm starting to spin.

Image caption,

A satellite photo of hurricane Katrina over the Gulf of Mexico in 2005. The eye of the storm is clearly visible.

The formation of a tropical storm

Figure caption,

The formation of a tropical storm as the warm air rises

Scientists believe that climate change may affect tropical storms.

As the Earth warms so to do the oceans. If more of the oceans are above 27 °C, more places may experience tropical storms. Higher temperatures may also mean more energy for a tropical storm meaning they become more powerful and cause more damage.