Monitoring tropical cyclones from space

01 June 2012

As the North Atlantic Hurricane season officially starts today (1 June) EUMETSAT take a look at how you can see tropical cyclones forming and follow where they are moving using satellite imagery.

Tropical cyclone is the generic term for a low pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters, with organised convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and winds at low levels circulating either anti-clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) or clockwise (in the southern hemisphere).

At its very early and weak stages it is called a Tropical Depression. When the winds reach 39 mph (62.8 km/h) it is called a Tropical Storm. If the wind should reach 74 mph (119km/h) or more is called a Hurricane in the Atlantic and the north-east Pacific, and a Typhoon in the north-west Pacific. In other parts of the world, such as the Indian Ocean and South Pacific the term Cyclonic Storm or Tropical Cyclone is used.

For more information click here.

Source: EUMETSAT