cyclone

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Cyclone Catarina

cyclonic and anticyclonic flow in the Northern Hemisphere

Giant vortices in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, imaged by the Galileo spacecraft on May 7, 1997. The oval on the left is a cyclonic storm system, rotating in a clockwise direction. The oval on the right is an anticyclone, with a counterclockwise rotation.

Superstorm Sandy

How did Cyclone Pam form and what impact did it have on Vanuatu?

What causes powerful wind squalls?

Read Next

High-oblique view of the extra-tropical unnamed cyclone that merged with Hurricane Earl is featured in this image taken by an Expedition 24 crew member on the International Space Station (Sept. 2010).

Is the Number of Hurricanes Increasing?

Lightning over the outskirts of Oradea, Rom., during the thunderstorm of August 17, 2005.

16 Questions About Earth’s Atmsophere and Weather Answered

This close-up image of a dust storm on Mars was acquired by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 7, 2007. This image is centered on Utopia Planitia

Do Hurricanes Happen on Other Planets?

Hurricane Katrina infographic. Path of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Includes information on casualties, damage, and the flooded parts of NOLA. tropical cyclone, storm

When Katrina Struck

This image depicts a 3-day average of actual sea surface temperatures for the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, from August 25-27, 2005 during Hurricane Katrina, with 2005 hurricane season names overlaid

How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?

Discover

Statue of Liberty in front of the skyline of Manhattan, New York City, New York.

Who Was the Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty?

Close up of periodic table, focus on nickel, copper, zinc, palladium, silver, cadmium

When Was the Periodic Table Invented?

Camel at Khor Rori, Oman; mammal.

Do Camels Store Water in Their Humps?

Panoramic view at sunrise of moai, Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile

6 Lost Civilizations

A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellin

Pablo Escobar: 8 Interesting Facts About the King of Cocaine

airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)

7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances

Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution

The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution

cyclone: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Large rafts of invasive fire ants seen floating in flood waters after Cyclone Alfred • Mar. 13, 2025, 5:23 AM ET (The Guardian)

Alfred, No Longer a Cyclone, Makes Landfall in Australia • Mar. 8, 2025, 5:42 AM ET (New York Times)

Car Almost Washed Away By Cyclone's Waves • Mar. 7, 2025, 6:41 AM ET (The Weather Channel)

Is Cyclone Alfred spending longer at sea good news or bad? • Mar. 6, 2025, 6:19 AM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Cyclone warning zone expanded south to Grafton — as it happened • Mar. 4, 2025, 6:16 AM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Facts

Also Known As	low pressure • low • depression

Photos and Videos

Cyclone Catarina

cyclonic and anticyclonic flow in the Northern Hemisphere

Giant vortices in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, imaged by the Galileo spacecraft on May 7, 1997. The oval on the left is a cyclonic storm system, rotating in a clockwise direction. The oval on the right is an anticyclone, with a counterclockwise rotation.

Superstorm Sandy

How did Cyclone Pam form and what impact did it have on Vanuatu?

What causes powerful wind squalls?

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

tropical cyclone polar vortex extratropical cyclone cyclogenesis Icelandic low Aleutian low cyclolysis lee cyclone Asiatic low bomb cyclone tornado thunderstorm whirlwind tropical storm windstorm blizzard haboob squall atmospheric river atmospheric turbulence

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

climate: Cyclones and anticyclones

Quiz

Umbrella colored like a rainbow sticking out above a sea of black umbrellas while it rains. (storm, weather)

Weather Words Vocabulary Quiz

Lightning over a farm field. Weather electricity thunderstorm light energy tree

Facts You Should Know: Weather Quiz

rain. Child in the rain, wearing a rain coat, under a yellow umbrella. April Showers weather climate rain storm water drops

April Showers to March’s Lions and Lambs