Do you know the difference between Tropical Cyclone and Extra-tropical Cyclone?
The Cyclone is a weather phenomenon that consists of large scale air mass which rotates around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure. The low atmospheric pressure region is the home of the cyclone. Hence, it can be tropical cyclones or extra-tropical cyclone. The term “cyclone” is derived from a Greek word “cyclos’’ which means coiling of snake. It is characterised by inward spiralling winds that rotate about a zone of low pressure. The low atmospheric pressure region is the home of the cyclone. Hence, it can be tropical cyclones or extra-tropical cyclone.
Here, we are giving the concept of Tropical Cyclone and Extra-tropical Cyclone as the difference between Tropical Cyclone and Extra-tropical Cyclone, which is very useful for the competitive examinations like UPSC-prelims, SSC, State Services, NDA, CDS, and Railways etc.
What is Tropical Cyclone?
A tropical cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists to describe a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed low-level circulation. There are three types of Tropical cyclones: Tropical Depression; Tropical Storm; Tropical Cyclone.
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What is Extra-tropical Cyclone?
The Extra-tropical Cyclone is used to refer to cold-core in the upper troposphere and often form along fronts in higher latitudes. It is developed in the mid and high latitude beyond tropics which causes abrupt changes in the weather conditions over an area in the middle and high latitudes.
Difference between Tropical Cyclone and Extra-tropical Cyclone
| Basis |
Tropical Cyclone |
Extra-tropical Cyclone |
| Characteristics |
A low-pressure centre, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. |
A large scale low-pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth. |
| Formation |
It gets intensified over warm tropical oceans and required temperature higher than 27° C, presence of the Coriolis force, small variations in the vertical wind speed, a pre-existing weak low- pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation and upper divergent above the sea level system. |
It gets intensified any part of extratropical regions of the Earth (usually between 30° and 60° latitude from the equator), either through cyclogenesis or extratropical transition. |
| Movement |
It moves from east to west. |
It moves from west to east. |
| Nature of Cyclone |
Violent storms |
Static, not violent |
| Type |
Warm Core |
Cold Core |
A cyclone can be named to any large system of winds that circulates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure in a counter-clockwise direction north of the Equator and in a clockwise direction to the south. It never formed near the equator because of the equator, the Coriolis force is zero and the wind blows perpendicular to the isobars. This is the only reason the low pressure gets filled instead of getting intensified.
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