Tropical Cyclones: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding Tropical Cyclones

Definition:

A tropical cyclone (TC) refers to an intense circular storm originating over warm, tropical oceans. These storms exhibit low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and characteristic cloud formations.

Characteristics:

TCs are characterized by:

• A low-pressure center
• A closed, low-level atmospheric circulation
• Strong winds
• A spiral arrangement of clouds

TCs in the Philippine Area of Responsibility

The Philippines experiences more TCs entering its Area of Responsibility (PAR) than any other region globally.

Impact and Intensity:

TCs can lead to devastating impacts on coastal areas, potentially causing:

• Annihilation of coastal areas
• Massive death tolls

The Saffir-Simpson scale rates TCs from 1 to 5 based on their wind speeds.

Formation and Structure:

TCs are warm-core, low-pressure systems that form over warm tropical oceans.

They exhibit a spiral inflow of mass at their bottom level and a spiral outflow at their top level.