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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.
Hurricane Wilma was the most intensetropical cyclone in theAtlantic basin and the second-most intense tropical cyclone in theWestern Hemisphere, both based onbarometric pressure, afterHurricane Patricia in 2015. Wilma's rapid intensification led to a 24-hour pressure drop of 97 mbar (2.9 inHg), setting a new basin record. At its peak, Hurricane Wilma'seye contracted to a record minimum diameter of 2.3 mi (3.7 km). In the record-breaking2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Wilma was the twenty-secondstorm, thirteenthhurricane, sixthmajor hurricane, and fourthCategory 5 hurricane, and was the second costliest hurricane inMexican history, behindHurricane Otis in 2023.
Its origins came from atropical depression that formed in theCaribbean Sea nearJamaica on October 15, headed westward, and intensified into atropical storm two days later, which abruptly turned southward and was named Wilma. Continuing to strengthen, Wilma eventually became a hurricane on October 18. Shortly thereafter,explosive intensification occurred, and in only 24 hours, Wilma became a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 185 mph (295 km/h). Wilma's intensity slowly leveled off after becoming a Category 5 hurricane, and winds had decreased to 150 mph (240 km/h) before it reached theYucatán Peninsula on October 20 and 21. After crossing the Yucatán, Wilma emerged into theGulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane. As it began accelerating to the northeast, gradual re-intensification occurred, and the hurricane was upgraded to Category 3 status on October 24. Shortly thereafter, Wilma made landfall inCape Romano, Florida, with winds of 120 mph (190 km/h). As Wilma was crossing Florida, it briefly weakened back to a Category 2 hurricane, but again re-intensified as it reached the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane intensified into a Category 3 hurricane for the last time, before weakening while accelerating northeastward. By October 26, Wilma transitioned into anextratropical cyclone southeast ofNova Scotia. (Full article...)
The1737 Calcutta cyclone, also known as theHooghly River cyclone of 1737 or theGreat Bengal cyclone of 1737, was the firstsuper cyclone on record in the NorthIndian Ocean and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in Indian history. It hit the coast nearKolkata on the morning of 11 October 1737 and has been reported to have killed over 300,000 people in Calcutta, and caused widespread catastrophic damage. The cyclone hit land over theGanges River Delta, just southwest of Calcutta. Most deaths resulted from the storm surge and happened on the sea: many ships sank in theBay of Bengal and an unknown number of livestock and wild animals were killed from the effects of the cyclone. The damage was described as "extensive" but numerical statistics are unknown. (Full article...)
The1933 Atlantic hurricane season was the most activeAtlantic hurricane season on record in terms ofaccumulated cyclone energy (ACE), with a total of 259. It also set a record fornameable tropical storms in a single season, 20, which stood for the time being until2005, when there were 28 storms. The season ran for six months of 1933, withtropical cyclone development occurring as early as May and as late as November. A system was active for all but 13 days from June 28 to October 7.
Because technologies such asEarth observation satellites were not available until the 1960s, historical data on tropical cyclones from the early 20th century is often incomplete. Tropical cyclones that did not approach populated areas or shipping lanes, especially if they were relatively weak and of short duration, may have remained undetected. Compensating for the lack of comprehensive observation and the limited technological ability to monitor all tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin during this era, researchmeteorologistChristopher Landsea estimates that the 1933 season may have produced an additional 2–3missed tropical cyclones. A 2013 reanalysis of the 1933 Atlantic Hurricane Database did indeed identify twonew tropical storms; however, it was also determined that two existing cyclones did not reach tropical storm intensity and so were removed from the database. Additionally, researchers found two existing storms to be one continuous system. As a result, the season storm total dropped from 21 to 20. (Full article...)
Italicized basins are unofficial.
Last updated: 05:35, 24 November 2025 (UTC)
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The2006 Atlantic hurricane season was a cycle of the annualtropical cyclone season in the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. The season officially began on June 1, 2006, and ended on November 30, 2006. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when mostsubtropical ortropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean. The first storm to form in 2006 wasTropical Storm Alberto on June 10; the last, Hurricane Isaac, dissipated on October 2.
The season saw near average activity in terms of the overall number of cyclones. There were tennamed storms in the Atlantic basin in 2006, of which five became hurricanes with two intensifying further intomajor hurricanes. It was the first season since the2001 season in which no hurricanes made landfall in the United States, and the first since the1994 season that no tropical cyclones formed during October; activity was slowed by a rapidly formingEl Niño event in 2006, the presence of theSaharan Air Layer over the tropical Atlantic, and the steady presence of a robust secondary high-pressure area to theAzores High centered on Bermuda. (Full article...)
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