Portal:Tropical cyclones

The Tropical Cyclones Portal

Hurricane Isabel in 2003 as seen from the International Space Station
Hurricane Isabel

A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center, a closed low-level circulation and a spiral arrangement of 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 fueled 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. Most tropical cyclones originate in the doldrums, approximately ten degrees from the Equator.

The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, as well as to 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 may be referred to by names such as "hurricane", "typhoon", "tropical storm", "cyclonic storm", "tropical depression" or simply "cyclone".

Types of cyclone: 1. A "Typhoon" is a tropical cyclone located in the North-west Pacific Ocean which has the most cyclonic activity and storms occur year-round. 2. A "Hurricane" is also a tropical cyclone located at the North Atlantic Ocean or North-east Pacific Ocean which have an average storm activity and storms typically form between May 15 and November 30. 3. A "Cyclone" is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Selected named cyclone -

Hurricane John at peak intensity off the coast of Mexico, on August 30

Hurricane John was a Category 4 hurricane that caused heavy flooding and extensive damage across most of the Pacific coast of Mexico in late August through early September 2006. John was the eleventh named storm, seventh hurricane, and fifth major hurricane of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season. Hurricane John developed on August 28 from a tropical wave to the south of Mexico. Favorable conditions allowed the storm to intensify quickly, and it attained peak winds of 130 mph (210 km/h) on August 30. Eyewall replacement cycles and land interaction with western Mexico weakened the hurricane, and John made landfall on southeastern Baja California Sur with winds of 110 mph (180 km/h) on September 1. It slowly weakened as it moved northwestward through the Baja California peninsula, and dissipated on September 4. Moisture from the remnants of the storm entered the southwest United States.

The hurricane threatened large portions of the western coastline of Mexico, resulting in the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. In coastal portions of western Mexico, strong winds downed trees, while heavy rain resulted in mudslides. Hurricane John caused moderate damage on the Baja California peninsula, including the destruction of more than 200 houses and thousands of flimsy shacks. The hurricane killed five people in Mexico, and damage totaled $663 million (2006 MXN, $60.8 million 2006 USD). In the southwest United States, moisture from the remnants of Hurricane John produced heavy rainfall. The rainfall aided drought conditions in portions of northern Texas, although it was detrimental in locations that had received above-normal rainfall throughout the year. (Full article...)

Selected article -

The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) is a tropical cyclone intensity scale that classifies hurricanes—which in the Western Hemisphere are tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms—into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds. This measuring system was formerly known as the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale, or SSHS.

To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have one-minute-average maximum sustained winds at 10 m (33 ft) above the surface of at least 74 mph (64 kn, 119 km/h; Category 1). The highest classification in the scale, Category 5, consists of storms with sustained winds of at least 157 mph (137 kn, 252 km/h). The classifications can provide some indication of the potential damage and flooding a hurricane will cause upon landfall. (Full article...)

Selected image -

Tents are distributed by FEMA to families on Guam as temporary shelter while repairing damages to their homes from Typhoon Pongsona in December 2002.


Selected season -

The 2001–02 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season had the earliest named storm since 1992. Many storms formed in the north-east portion of the basin, and several more originated around Australia. The basin is defined as the waters of the Indian Ocean west of longitude 90°E to the coast of Africa and south of the equator. Eleven tropical storms formed, compared to an average of nine. Tropical systems were present during 73 days, which was significantly higher than the average of 58 for this basin.

Tropical cyclones in this basin are monitored by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) in Réunion. The season started on November 1, 2001, and ended on April 30, 2002; for Mauritius and the Seychelles, the season continued until May 15. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the basin; however, storms formed both before and after the designated season. The first storm was Andre, which emerged from the Australian basin as Tropical Cyclone Alex in late October. The strongest storm, Cyclone Hary, was the first very intense tropical cyclone since 2000; it hit Madagascar, where it caused lighter damage than expected but three deaths. In January, Cyclone Dina left heavy damage in the Mascarene Islands, particularly on Réunion, where it dropped 2,102 mm (82.8 in) of rainfall. The second-to-last storm was Cyclone Kesiny, which killed 33 people when it struck Madagascar in the midst of a political crisis.

(Full article...)

Currently active tropical cyclones

Italicized basins are unofficial.

North Atlantic (2026)
No active systems
East and Central Pacific (2026)
No active systems
West Pacific (2026)
No active systems
North Indian Ocean (2026)
No active systems
Mediterranean (2025–26)
No active systems
South-West Indian Ocean (2025–26)
No active systems
Australian region (2025–26)
No active systems
South Pacific (2025–26)
No active systems
South Atlantic (2025–26)
No active systems

Last updated: 16:45, 18 February 2026 (UTC)

Tropical cyclone anniversaries

February 17

February 18

  • 2002 - Cyclone Guillaume (pictured) reached peak intensity of 205 km/h (125 mph) by 10-minute sustained winds.

February 19

  • 2015 - Cyclones Lam and Marcia (both pictured) struck different parts of Australia, marking the first time on record that two storms of Category 4 intensity struck the country on the same day. Lam moved ashore Northern Australia, causing widespread flooding. Six hours later, Marcia made landfall on Queensland as a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone.


Did you know…



General images -

The following are images from various tropical cyclone-related articles on Wikipedia.

Featured list -

This is a featured list, which represents some of the best list articles on English Wikipedia.
Rainfall map from Hurricane Helene
Rainfall map from Hurricane Helene

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the Southeastern United States. Tropical cyclones—storms characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain—regularly affect the state. According to statistical hurricane research between 1886 and 1996 by the North Carolina State Climatology Office, a tropical cyclone makes landfall along the coastline about once every four years. An estimated 17.5% of all North Atlantic tropical cyclones have affected the state.

This list documents 79 tropical cyclones known to have affected the state between 2000 and the present. The most active month is September, with 31 total storms, while November is the least active month with three storms. The strongest hurricane to hit the state during the time period was Hurricane Isabel in 2003, producing maximum sustained winds equivalent to Category 2 status on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. In terms of impacts, Hurricane Helene in 2024 was the most destructive and the deadliest. The first storm to impact the state during the period was Hurricane Florence in September 2000, and the most recent was Hurricane Erin in August 2025. (Full article...)

Topics

Subcategories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories
Tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones by basin
Tropical cyclones by country
Tropical cyclones by region
Tropical cyclones by strength
Effects of tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones by year
Lists of tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclone seasons
Set index articles on storms
Bridge disasters caused by tropical cyclones
Deaths in tropical cyclones
Films about tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclone meteorology
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclone preparedness
Tornado outbreaks spawned by tropical cyclones
Works about hurricanes
Tropical cyclone stubs
Wikipedia categories named after tropical cyclones

WikiProject Tropical cyclones is the central point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of tropical cyclones. Feel free to help!

WikiProject Weather is the main center point of coordination for Wikipedia's coverage of meteorology in general, and the parent project of WikiProject Tropical cyclones. Three other branches of WikiProject Weather in particular share significant overlaps with WikiProject Tropical cyclones:

  • The Non-tropical storms task force coordinates most of Wikipedia's coverage on extratropical cyclones, which tropical cyclones often transition into near the end of their lifespan.
  • The Floods task force takes on the scope of flooding events all over the world, with rainfall from tropical cyclones a significant factor in many of them.
  • WikiProject Severe weather documents the effects of extreme weather such as tornadoes, which landfalling tropical cyclones can produce.

Things you can do
Here are some tasks awaiting attention:


Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Discover Wikipedia using portals
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.