It's a Typhoon, it's a Cyclone, it's a Hurricane!

[Dimandja]

I have weathered a handful of hurricanes in Florida, in the past few weeks. Mostly by running from them, back to the northeast.

Can someone explain the difference between a typhoon, a cyclone, and a hurricane? Why are there different names for a seemingly same phenomenon?

 

[TheRambler]

I think you mean coriolis. A strange word, isn't it? I couldn't find it in my favorite dictionaries.

 

[CajunCenturion]

You're right TheRambler, it is Coriolis.

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[Stella740pl]

TheRambler,

A strange word, isn't it? I couldn't find it in my favorite dictionaries.

It's probably because Coriolis is a name - a scientist's name. But you can find Coriolis effect just fine.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/c/c0643000.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect

Stella

 

[sha76]

Named after the bloke who discovered it if I remember right.

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Dimandja]

Because of the coriolis effect, there is apparently a 300 KM buffer on each side of the equator that prevents any cyclones from forming in that region.

As for equator-braving monsoons (from

http://library.thinkquest.org/11641/wind.htm#Monsoon

): "Monsoons are seasonal winds and are well developed over Asia and South East Asia. Summer in the northern hemisphere in July heats up the land mass of Asia. This creates a low pressure system over Asia. The winter in the southern hemisphere creates a high pressure system over Australia. Winds therefore blows from the Australian high pressure system across the equator to the Asian low pressure. From Australia, it blows as the south east monsoon and is deflected to the right as it crosses the equator to become the south west monsoon".

 

[CajunCenturion]

That is all quite true and not in dispute Dimandja. Monsoon winds absolutely do change direction when crossing the equator, but monsoonal winds are not depressions.

And this is probably the only depression that actually enjoys crossing the equator.

What about the depressions crossing the equator? That's the interesting part.

Good Luck
--------------
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[TheRambler]

Oh, I see now, thanks Stella, Sha76. Therefore I should have typed "Coriolis" instead of "coriolis".

 

[Stella740pl]

TheRambler,

Therefore I should have typed "Coriolis" instead of "coriolis".
It depends, I guess. It doesn't help in

http://www.yourdictionary.com,

only wildcard coriolis* or Coriolis* finds you something; and Wikipedia doesn't mind all small letters and finds you the scientist first.

 

[Dimandja]

CC, I am still trying to get a firm handle on all these shape and direction shifting winds.

This site (

http://www.typhoon2000.ph/tcterm.htm#M)

offers some helpful - or confusing) definitions (notice that Monsoon Depressions exist):

Monsoon - A seasonal wind produced by the alternate heating and cooling of land and sea masses.

Monsoon Depression - A tropical cyclonic vortex

 

[CajunCenturion]

Yes, I am aware of monsoonal depresstions. What distinguishes them from a conventional depression is that they form inside of a monsoonal trough and sometimes, depending on a number of factors, grow up into conventional cyclonic storms. My interest is in how they manage to cross the equator.

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[Dimandja]

Maybe monsoons keep the form of monsoonal winds until they safely cross the equator, and then unleash themselves unto unsuspecting victims as monsoonal depressions?

That's what I would do if I were a monsoon. I'm only saying.

 

[ESquared]

SkipVought,

A CD's rate of spin has little or nothing to do with the pitch at which it is played. Perhaps there might be a CD-player or two for which this is not true, but they are poorly designed.

-------------------------------------
It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[edfair]

Off subject CC, but how does it feel to be impacted by the same storm a week apart?

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Dimandja]

edfair,

I have gone through 3 hurricanes out of the four that hit Florida. The one yesterday came the closest to me.

Frnkly, we are getting hurricane fatigue. I was not at all prepared to take precautions, yesterday. I ignored the whole thing until I woke up to howling winds and rain Sunday morning. I had to brave the near hurricane strength winds, late afternoon, to go search for food. Luckily, an Arby's was open for business. I got onto the mile long waiting line.

 

[flapeyre]

We evacuated for Ivan to Baton Rouge, about 65 miles (105 km) west of where we live. At the time, the forecasters just didn't know where the storm was going to hit, and you don't take chances with a Category 5 (at the time) storm. As it turned out, all we had was some pine needles and branches down in the yard. It didn't even rain, and we didn't lose our electricity.

But, anybody who lives anywhere close to the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean south of Virginia, IMO, should have flood insurance, even if you are not required to have it. If you have damage from flooding, it's the best bargain you've ever had.

De mortuis nihil nisi bonum.

 

[ESquared]

Flapeyre,

What, should we just change the maps for the entire U.S. southeast to be one solid A zone?

-------------------------------------
It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[edfair]

My comment was more to the possibility that Louisiana suffered twice with Ivan. But I guess that Florida could also get the description that it was hit 5 times with 4 storms, although the second crossing of Ivan was not a safety issue.
I'm fortunate in that by the time the storms get to Atlanta the wind is down and the water content has been reduced, but 3 soakings are enough for 1 year. But it does remind me of 1954 when the Boston area was hit by 2 storms 3 days apart.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[CajunCenturion]

As a hurricane, Ivan was little too far east to cause any amount of sufficient damage. New Orleans and other extreme eastern parishes got some rain and few gusts but nothing remotely comparable to being in or close to the path of a storm. On the second trip around, Ivan was a tropical storm and the western part of the state got rain and winds, but with it not being of hurricane strength, damage was relatively minor, and the biggest problem was flooding.

Believe me when I say that it was a whole lot worse a couple of years ago with Hurricane Lily.

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[flapeyre]

CC -

Even though I suffered no damage from Lily, the flood waters came within a few feet of my (raised) home. That's when I got the flood insurance. And I'm in Zone 'C', where it's not required (about 1.5 miles north of Lake Pontchartrain).

De mortuis nihil nisi bonum.

 

[CajunCenturion]

You are very close to my sister who also lives on the North Shore. We are 120+- miles west and caught the brunt of Lily.

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein