Tropical Revolving Storms

Hurricanes
Cyclones
Typhoons
Introduction
Of all the dangers that Seafarers may
encounter Tropical Revolving Storms are
the most severe.
The extremes of weather are:
– Strong winds
– High seas
– Storm surges
– Torrential rain
Formation
• Tropical storms [wind speeds between
33kts and 63kts] or TRS [wind speeds of
64kts +] form within seven regions around
the world called 'basins'.
• Formation is normally within a specific
season – early Summer to late Autumn for
that hemisphere.
• The energy powering these storms comes
from the heat stored in the oceans.
The 7 Tropical Basins
• Western North Atlantic;
• Eastern North Pacific;
• Western North Pacific;
• Western South Pacific;
• North Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal);
• Western South Indian Ocean;
• Eastern South Indian Ocean.
Classification
Tropical Depression
Less than force 7 (< 39mph / 33knots)
Tropical Storm
Between force 8 and 9 (39-54mph / 34-47knots)
Severe Tropical Storm
Between force 10 and 11 (55-73mph / 48-63knots)
Tropical Revolving Storm
Greater the force 12 (> 74mph / 64knots)

• TRS are then classified by their wind speed

into 5 categories (Saffir-Simpson scale).
Saffir-Simpson Scale
• Category 1 — winds 64-82 kt
No real damage to buildings. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. Some coastal
flooding and minor pier damage.
- Examples: Allison 1995 & Nuri 2008
• Category 2 — winds 83-95 kt
Some damage to building roofs, doors and windows. Flooding damages piers and small
craft in unprotected moorings may break their moorings. Some trees blown down.
- Examples: Bonnie 1998, Georges 1998
• Category 3— winds 96-113 kt
Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings. Large trees blown
down. Poorly built signs destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures
with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain may be flooded well inland.
- Examples: Keith 2000, Fran 1996,
• Category 4— winds 114-135 kt
More extensive curtain wall failures with some complete roof structure failure on small
residences. Major erosion of beach areas. Terrain may be flooded well inland.
- Examples: Hugo 1989 and Dennis 1995
• Category 5— winds 135 kt +
Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete
building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Flooding causes major
damage to lower floors of all structures near the shoreline. Massive evacuation of
residential areas may be required.
- Examples: Andrew 1992, Wilma 1995

Source: www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml
Ivan
Karl

Lisa
Jeanne
Storm Names
• Each season Tropical Depressions which reach the level
of 39mph / 33knots are given names
• Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named
from lists maintained and updated by the World
Meteorological Organization.
• The original name lists featured only women's names. In
1979, men's names were introduced and they alternate
with the women's names.
• Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2007 list will be
used again in 2013.
List of North Atlantic Names
Storm Name Retirement
• The only time that there is a change is if a
storm is so deadly or costly that the future
use of its name on a different storm would
be considered inappropriate for obvious
reasons of sensitivity.
• Not all of the most deadly or costly storms
are the strongest – TS Allison in 2001
caused $5,000,000,000 damage.
Some of the costliest tropical cyclones
1 Andrew 1992 5 US$ 26,500,000,000
2 Charley 2004 4 15,000,000,000
3 Ivan 2004 3 14,200,000,000
4 Frances 2004 2 8,900,000,000
5 Hugo 1989 4 7,000,000,000
6 Jeanne 2004 3 6,900,000,000
7 Allison 2001 TS 5,000,000,000
8 Floyd 1999 2 4,500,000,000
9 Isabel 2003 2 3,370,000,000
10 Fran 1996 3 3,200,000,000
2005 Hurricanes
• Katrina (August) was an extraordinarily powerful and
deadly hurricane that inflicted large loss of life. It was
the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes to
ever strike the United States.
• Rita (September) was an intense Category 5 hurricane
over the central Gulf of Mexico and had the fourth-
lowest central pressure (895mb) on record in the Atlantic
basin.
• Stan (October) was associated with disastrous inland
flooding across portions of Central America and Mexico,
and some estimates of the death toll are as high as
2000.
• Wilma (October) formed and became an extremely
intense hurricane over the north western Caribbean Sea.
It had the all-time lowest central pressure (882mb) for
an Atlantic basin hurricane.
5 Hurricanes from 2005 have been retired
Development – 1
• A pre-existing area of low pressure such as a
Tropical Disturbance in the North Atlantic.
• Warm tropical ocean water where the sea
surface temperature is at least 27°C and
considerable depth of water.
• For formation the ITCZ must be at least 5° of
latitude.
• There must be an absence of wind shear in the
upper troposphere, to enable strong vertical
cloud development.
How a hurricane forms
Development – 2
• During the development of a TRS immense
amounts of heat are transported from sea
through clouds into the atmosphere and thence
to higher latitudes.
• Once a tropical depression has formed air
containing water vapour is drawn into the base.
• The moisture laden air ascends in the centre of
the cloud and cools as it rises. Water vapour
condenses to form the clouds and heat is
released which causes the air to rise faster.
• This process causes the wind speed to increase
and the escalation of the storm.
Development TD TS
Outflow aloft greater than Inflow

Air rises
faster
Water droplets
condense in the
clouds Latent heat
released into the
clouds

Air rises up Moisture

in the TD evaporates
from sea
Weak low In flow surface

Warm sea surface

Development – 3

• Eventually the spinning motion causes the

centre of the cloud mass to descend
toward the surface. Much in the same way
as emptying a wash basin creates a
vortex.
Development TS TRS
Outflow aloft Outflow aloft
Eye descends

In flow CPV decreasing In flow

Warm sea surface
Development – 4

• The vortex ultimately becomes the eye of

the storm, with cloud spiralling outward.
• When the eye reaches the surface the
storm is classed as a full TRS (Hurricane,
Typhoon, Cyclone)
Development TS TRS
Outflow aloft Outflow aloft

Anvil
Anvil
Highest
Temperature
Cb Cb

Warm Core Eye

Wall

Hot
Cu towers
Subsidence
Adiabatic Cu
Warming Bar of Cu
Storm
No
Cloud

200 100 0 100 200

Twin Storms
•In early May 2002 there was a strong westerly wind burst
along the equator in the western Indian Ocean.
•This spawned twin cyclones in the northern and southern
hemispheres (TC 01A in the north and TC Kesiny in the
south).
•This area of strong westerlies and convective activity
propagated eastwards and proceeded to spawn a second set
of twin vortices in the eastern Indian Ocean a few days later
(TC Cyclone 02B in the north and TC Errol in the south).
•The meteorological activity continued eastwards into the
Pacific Ocean and was responsible for the formation of Super
Tyhoon Hagibis in the NW Pacific and possibly Hurricane
Alma in the NE Pacific in the following two weeks.
Twin
Cyclones
in Indian
Ocean

9th May
2002
Movement – 1
Initially the Tropical Depression moves in a westerly
direction [4, 9, 12] carried on the general wind
movement of the Trade winds.
It must be remembered that these storms are very
intense areas of low pressure and although the wind
flows into them, their intensity is not reduced.
Historical data shows us that they follow 2 possible
tracks. If they are blocked by an area of High pressure,
they:
– continue to move west until encountering land [Emily 2005];
– turn and move towards the pole [Fabian 2003];
Alternatively the Meteorological forecaster may try to
determine which way the storm will go based on the
current synoptic situation.
Movement – 2
• With all of the technology available to
forecasters it is still very difficult to say
exactly where a storm is going to go…
– Erratic
– Just plain nasty
Track of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Gamede 2006
Rain Fall Record
• La Reunion is a small island east of Madagascar, about 30 miles in diameter.
It has two tall volcanoes that rise over 8,500 feet in altitude. These volcanoes
can squeeze prodigious amounts of rain out of the moist tropical atmosphere
when strong winds force this air up their flanks.
• La Reunion already held the world record for a 3-day precipitation when 3.24
meters fell during January 1980 in TC Hyacinthe.
• Another tropical cyclone - Category 3 TC Gamede - set the world record this
time. Gamede never hit the island, but passed close enough (120 miles away)
and moved slowly enough that its outer spiral bands stayed over the island for
many days.
• Gamede's rains also brought world records for the most rain recorded for
multi-day periods up to nine days:
3 days: 3.93 meters
4 days: 4.87 meters
5 days: 4.98 meters
6 days: 5.07 meters
7 days: 5.40 meters
8 days: 5.51 meters
9 days: 5.51 meters

• The 10-day record was not broken, and is still held by Tropical Cyclone
Hyacinthe's 18.4 feet of rain that fell from January 18-27, 1980.
Decay
• As the storms are powered by the heat of
the ocean, they will decay when deprived
of the energy source.
• This occurs when they move:
– To cooler water;
– Over the land;
– To an area of strong wind shear and the
clouds are ripped apart.
Hurricane Gilbert

• BBC documentary on Hurricane

forecasting
• Happened to coincide with the arrival of
a Category 5 TRS
• Old but relevant
Make sure you understand:
• The requirements for the formation of a
TRS
• How a storm develops
• Storm classification and symbology
• Influences on a storm’s movement
• How a storm decays
The end
Katrina (2005)
Fabian
(2003)
Emily (2005)
 Erratic
Movement
Kate (2003)

Nicholas
(2003)
Ivan (2004)
Heat Transfer
Links

• Animation "How a hurricane forms"

• NOAA Archive 2005
• Retired Hurricane Names 1954-2005
Tropical Basins
Formation of a North Atlantic
Hurricane
2006

2
0
0
7
2007

2005
Eastern South Indian Ocean
Recent Retired Storms
1995 1996 1997 1999 2000
Luis Cesar 1998 Floyd Keith
Marilyn Fran Georges Lenny
Opal Hortense Mitch
Roxanne
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Allison Isidore Fabian Charley Dennis
Iris Lili Isabel Frances Katrina
Michelle Juan Ivan Rita
Jeanne Stan
Wilma
ITCZ in January
ITCZ in July
S Indian Ocean 2007
Tropical Cyclone Gamede

Tropical Cyclone Gamede on February 27,

2007 at 10am local time, as it brought
world-record rains to La Reunion Island in
the Indian Ocean. At the time, Gamede
was a Category 2 storm with top winds of
100 mph.
Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory.
 Sidr
Very Severe
Cyclonic Storm
Wind speeds
>120knots
CPV
944 hPa