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Atropical cyclone is astorm system characterized by a largelow-pressure center, a closed low-level circulation and a spiral arrangement of numerousthunderstorms that produce strongwinds and heavyrainfall. Tropical cyclones feed on the heat released when moistair rises, resulting incondensation ofwater vapor contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such asNor'easters,European windstorms andpolar lows, leading to their classification as "warm core" storm systems. Most tropical cyclones originate in thedoldrums, approximately ten degrees from theEquator.
The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively intropical regions of the globe, as well as to their formation in maritime tropicalair masses. The term "cyclone" refers to such storms'cyclonic nature, withanticlockwise rotation in theNorthern Hemisphere andclockwise rotation in theSouthern 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.
Typhoon Gaemi, known in the Philippines asSuper Typhoon Carina, was a powerful and destructivetropical cyclone which impactedEast China,Taiwan, and thePhilippines in late July 2024. Gaemi, which meansant in Korean, the thirdnamed storm and second typhoon of theannual typhoon season, formed as a tropical depression east ofPalau on July 19. Owing to favorable environmental conditions, the typhoon intensified and reached its peak with ten-minutemaximum sustained winds of165 km/h (105 mph), and a centralatmospheric pressure of 935 hPa (27.61 inHg). With one-minute sustained winds at230 km/h (145 mph), Gaemi was classified as a Category 4-equivalent typhoon according to theSaffir-Simpson wind scale. The storm then turned north-northwestward, along the western periphery of asubtropical ridge. After stalling and executing a tight counter-clockwise loop near the coast, Gaemi slightly weakened due to land interaction before makinglandfall on the northeastern coast of Taiwan on July 24. It emerged over theTaiwan Strait just six hours after landfall. Gaemi made landfall inChina as a minimal tropical storm in theXiuyu District ofPutian inFujian Province. Once inland, the system weakened to a tropical depression by July 26 and continued tracking the system until it dissipated on July 29.
Together with thesouthwest monsoon andTropical Storm Prapiroon, heavy rains were reported over southern and northernLuzon, triggering widespread flash floods in various areas of the region. The monsoon enhanced by Gaemi's impact on Luzon led to comparisons to 2009'sTyphoon Ketsana. The oil tankerMTTerra Nova, carrying around 1.5 million liters of industrial fuel, capsized and sank in 34 m (112 ft) depth of water inManila Bay off the coast ofLimay, Bataan. In Japan, the island ofYonaguni recorded wind speeds of up to 180 km/h (110 mph). In Indonesia, large waves of up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in height affected theMolucca Sea,North Natuna Sea,Natuna Sea, and the areas between theSitaro Islands andBitung, and between theSangihe Islands andTalaud Islands. A maximum rainfall accumulation of 512.8 mm (20.19 in) was observed inLuoyuan County in Fujian Province. The remnants of Gaemi also hitNorth Korea, where up to 4,000 may have died. North Koreanstate media did not provide figures on casualties. In total, the typhoon killed at least 152 people, injured 924 others, left 42 missing, and caused US$4.57 billion in damages. (Full article...)
Themeteorological history of Hurricane Ivan, the longest trackedtropical cyclone of the2004 Atlantic hurricane season, lasted from late August through late September. The hurricane developed from atropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa on August 31. Tracking westward due to aridge, favorable conditions allowed it to develop into Tropical Depression Nine on September 2 in the deep tropicalAtlantic Ocean. The cyclone gradually intensified until September 5, when it underwentrapid deepening and reached Category 4 status on theSaffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale; at the timeIvan was the southernmostmajorNorth Atlantic hurricane on record.
Ivan quickly weakened due to dry air, but it gradually reorganized, passing just south ofGrenada as a major hurricane on September 7. The hurricane attainedCategory 5 status in the centralCaribbean Sea. Over the subsequent days its intensity fluctuated largely due toeyewall replacement cycles, and Ivan passed just south ofJamaica, theCayman Islands, and westernCuba with winds at or slightly below Category 5 status. Turning northward and encountering unfavorable conditions, Ivan gradually weakened before makinglandfall just west ofGulf Shores, Alabama on September 16 with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h). The cyclone quickly weakened to tropical depression status as it turned to the northeast, and Ivan transitioned into anextratropical cyclone on September 18. (Full article...)
The1995 Pacific hurricane season had below average activity, the firstseason to do since1979. The season saw eleventropical cyclones form, of which ten becamenamed tropical storms. Seven of these storms attained hurricane status, and three of them becomingmajor hurricanes. There were fewer tropical storms than the average of 16, while the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes were slightly below average. The season officially started on May 15, 1995, in the Eastern Pacific, and on June 1, 1995, in the Central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1995. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
Of the eleven tropical cyclones that formed during the season, four affected land, with the most notable storm of the season beingHurricane Ismael, which killed at least 116 people in Mexico. The strongest hurricane in the season was Hurricane Juliette, which reached peak winds of 150 mph (240 km/h), but did not significantly affect land. Hurricane Adolph was an early-season Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Henriette brushed theBaja California Peninsula in early September. (Full article...)
Italicized basins are unofficial.
Last updated: 05:35, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
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The2008 Atlantic hurricane season was an event in the annualtropical cyclone season in the northAtlantic Ocean. An above-averageAtlantic hurricane season, it was the first on record to have amajor hurricane in every month from July to November.
The season officially began on June 1, 2008, and ended on November 30, 2008, dates that conventionally delimit the period of each year when mosttropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic basin. The season's first storm,Tropical Storm Arthur, formed on May 30, and the last,Hurricane Paloma, dissipated on November 10. Pre-season forecasts noted a high possibility for an above average number of tropical cyclones, primarily due to lingeringLa Niña effects and abnormally warmsea surface temperatures across the Atlantic basin. Altogether, 16 of the 17 tropical cyclones observed during the season developed into tropical storms. Of these, eight became hurricanes with five intensifying further into major hurricanes. With the exception ofTropical Storm Nana, every tropical cyclone during the season affected land to an extent. (Full article...)
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