Hurricane track with wind speeds8/21/2023 ![]() Tropical cyclones can last more than a week and there can be more than one over any ocean at once, so giving them different names helps prevent confusion in weather forecasts. When winds reach 39 mph they become known as tropical storms and they are then also given a name, which helps weather forecasters talk about them. Weak tropical cyclones are called tropical depressions. There are various categories of tropical cyclone based on their wind speed. When this happens large and very powerful storms can form from the merger of the two systems. Sometimes, however, a tropical cyclone will move away from the tropics and sub-tropics into the mid-latitudes and merge with existing mid-latitude weather systems. Or they can weaken if wind speeds near the upper parts of the tropical cyclone cloud increase - 'blowing' the tops of the cloud downstream, destroying some of the cyclone's organised structure and weakening it. They will also weaken if they move over areas of cooler sea. When reaching land (known as 'making landfall'), tropical cyclones will quickly tend to weaken because their 'fuel source' has been cut off. Winds near the ocean surface blowing from different directions help the warm, moist air rise and form cloud, and as wind speeds do not vary greatly with height, the cloud is able to grow into the giant thunderstorms. The sea provides a constant source of heat and moisture to 'fuel' the tropical cyclone. Tropical cyclones typically start life over tropical oceans, forming when tropical thunderstorms are able to cluster and merge together in areas where the sea surface temperature is 27 ✬ or more, where wind speed does not vary greatly with height and where winds near the ocean surface blow from different directions. They are among the most dangerous natural hazards on earth and every year they cause considerable loss of life and damage to property. The tropical cyclone spectrum ranges from relatively small, weak storms called tropical depressions, with surface wind speeds less than 38 mph, to powerful hurricanes with surface wind speeds in excess of 160 mph. Some background on hurricanes and tropical cyclonesīefore we look at how Sandy developed into one of New York City's most notorious visitors it's worth taking a closer look at some general aspects of tropical cyclones and hurricanes.Ī tropical cyclone is the generic name given to a weather system over tropical or sub-tropical waters containing an organised area of Thunder and lightning, with cyclonic winds (anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere) around a low pressure centre. ![]() The surge flooded large parts of lower Manhattan, including subways and tunnels, caused mass power outages and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, not just in New York but also in neighbouring New Jersey. It brought winds up to 100 mph and widespread flooding from the associated storm surge. More recently Tropical Storm Floyd brought 60 mph winds and flash flooding to New York City in September 1999, whilst Hurricane Irene made landfall on Coney Island in August 2011, sparking the first-ever mandatory evacuation of coastal residents as a precaution.Ģ012's Hurricane Sandy broke no wind or rainfall records in the Big Apple, but this massive hurricane proved one of the costliest ever to affect the USA. Hurricane Hazel brought record-breaking gusts of 113 mph to Battery Park, Manhattan Island, in October 1954. Meanwhile, several hurricanes and tropical storms have just clipped New York City, including Hurricane Agnes, which passed just west of New York in June 1972 and killed 24. The 1938 New England Hurricane came very close, making landfall on nearby Long Island. As for hurricanes and tropical cyclones, a number of tropical cyclones have clipped New York as they worked their way northwards, three making a direct hit (or landfall) over New York City: the 1821 Norfolk and Long Island Hurricane, the 1893 New York Hurricane and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. One particularly notable storm that hit New York is the blizzard of 11 March 1888, which is considered one the USA's worst ever blizzards. In fact, being located on something of a meteorological crossroads, lying in the zone where cold, Canadian Arctic air masses meet the warm Gulf Stream current, the Big Apple is in the firing line for both extreme winter storms and tropical cyclones. New York City is no stranger to the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes.
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