Is it true that Tornadoes and Hurricanes spin in different directions?

Question

Like one of them sins clockwise and the other counter-clockwise

Answer 1

For the most part, it depends on which hemisphere you are in, let me clarify...

Northern Hemisphere:

95% of tornadoes spin counterclockwise, 5% spin clockwise.

All hurricanes spin counterclockwise.

Southern Hemisphere:

Most tornadoes spin clockwise, a few may spin counterclockwise. All hurricanes spin clockwise.

The reason for these differences lies in the Coriolis force which is caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Answer 2

well here read about hurricanes then tornados

A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and flooding rain. A tropical cyclone feeds on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapour contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic windstorms such as nor'easters, European windstorms, and polar lows, leading to their classification as "warm core" storm systems.

The term "tropical" refers to both the geographic origin of these systems, which form almost exclusively in tropical regions of the globe, and their formation in Maritime Tropical air masses. The term "cyclone" refers to such storms' cyclonic nature, with counterclockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on their location and strength, tropical cyclones are referred to by other names, such as hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression and simply cyclone.

While tropical cyclones can produce extremely powerful winds and torrential rain, they are also able to produce high waves and damaging storm surge. They develop over large bodies of warm water, and lose their strength if they move over land. This is the reason coastal regions can receive significant damage from a tropical cyclone, while inland regions are relatively safe from receiving strong winds. Heavy rains, however, can produce significant flooding inland, and storm surges can produce extensive coastal flooding up to 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the coastline. Although their effects on human populations can be devastating, tropical cyclones can also relieve drought conditions. They also carry heat and energy away from the tropics and transport it toward temperate latitudes, which makes them an important part of the global atmospheric circulation mechanism. As a result, tropical cyclones help to maintain equilibrium in the Earth's troposphere, and to maintain a relatively stable and warm temperature worldwide.

Many tropical cyclones develop when the atmospheric conditions around a weak disturbance in the atmosphere are favorable. Others form when other types of cyclones acquire tropical characteristics. Tropical systems are then moved by steering winds in the troposphere; if the conditions remain favorable, the tropical disturbance intensifies, and can even develop an eye. On the other end of the spectrum, if the conditions around the system deteriorate or the tropical cyclone makes landfall, the system weakens and eventually dissipates.

Contents

[show]

    * 1 Physical structure

          o 1.1 Banding

          o 1.2 Eye and inner core

          o 1.3 Size

    * 2 Mechanics

    * 3 Major basins and related warning centers

    * 4 Formation

          o 4.1 Times

          o 4.2 Factors

          o 4.3 Locations

    * 5 Movement and track

          o 5.1 Steering winds

          o 5.2 Coriolis effect

          o 5.3 Interaction with the mid-latitude westerlies

          o 5.4 Landfall

          o 5.5 Multiple storm interaction

    * 6 Dissipation

          o 6.1 Factors

          o 6.2 Artificial dissipation

    * 7 Effects

    * 8 Observation and forecasting

          o 8.1 Observation

          o 8.2 Forecasting

    * 9 Classifications, terminology, and naming

          o 9.1 Intensity classifications

          o 9.2 Origin of storm terms

          o 9.3 Naming

    * 10 Notable tropical cyclones

    * 11 Long-term activity trends

    * 12 Global warming

    * 13 Related cyclone types

    * 14 Tropical cyclones in popular culture

    * 15 See also

    * 16 References

    * 17 External links

Physical structure

    See also: Eye (cyclone)

Structure of a tropical cyclone

Structure of a tropical cyclone

All tropical cyclones are areas of low atmospheric pressure near the Earth's surface. The pressures recorded at the centers of tropical cyclones are among the lowest that occur on Earth's surface at sea level.[1] Tropical cyclones are characterized and driven by the release of large amounts of latent heat of condensation, which occurs when moist air is carried upwards and its water vapor condenses. This heat is distributed vertically around the center of the storm. Thus, at any given altitude (except close to the surface, where water temperature dictates air temperature) the environment inside the cyclone is warmer than its outer surroundings.[2]

Banding

Rainbands are bands of showers and thunderstorms that spiral cyclonically toward the storm center. High wind gusts and heavy downpours often occur in individual rainbands, with relatively calm weather between bands. Tornadoes often form in the rainbands of landfalling tropical cyclones.[3] Intense annular tropical cyclones are distinctive for their lack of rainbands; instead, they possess a thick circular area of disturbed weather around their low pressure center.[4] While all surface low pressure areas require divergence aloft to continue deepening, the divergence over tropical cyclones is in all directions away from the center. The upper levels of a tropical cyclone feature winds directed away from the center of the storm with an anticyclonic rotation, due to the Coriolis effect. Winds at the surface are strongly cyclonic, weaken with height, and eventually reverse themselves. Tropical cyclones owe this unique characteristic to requiring a relative lack of vertical wind shear to maintain the warm core at the center of the storm.[5][6]

Eye and inner core

A strong tropical cyclone will harbor an area of sinking air at the center of circulation. If this area is strong enough, it can develop into an eye. Weather in the eye is normally calm and free of clouds, although the sea may be extremely violent.[3] The eye is normally circular in shape, and may range in size from 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to 370 kilometres (230 mi) in diameter.[7][8] Intense, mature tropical cyclones can sometimes exhibit an inward curving of the eyewall's top, making it resemble a football stadium; this phenomenon is thus sometimes referred to as the stadium effect.[9]

There are other features that either surround the eye, or cover it. The central dense overcast is the concentrated area of strong thunderstorm activity near the center of a tropical cyclone;[10] in weaker tropical cyclones, the CDO may cover the center completely.[11] The eyewall is a circle of strong thunderstorms that surrounds the eye; here is where the greatest wind speeds are found, where clouds reach the highest, and precipitation is the heaviest. The heaviest wind damage occurs where a tropical cyclone's eyewall passes over land.[3] Eyewall replacement cycles occur naturally in intense tropical cyclones. When cyclones reach peak intensity they usually have an eyewall and radius of maximum winds that contract to a very small size, around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to 25 kilometres (16 mi). Outer rainbands can organize into an outer ring of thunderstorms that slowly moves inward and robs the inner eyewall of its needed moisture and angular momentum. When the inner eyewall weakens, the tropical cyclone weakens (in other words, the maximum sustained winds weaken and the central pressure rises.) The outer eyewall replaces the inner one completely at the end of the cycle. The storm can be of the same intensity as it was previously or even stronger after the eyewall replacement cycle finishes. The storm may strengthen again as it builds a new outer ring for the next eyewall replacement.[12]

Size descriptions of tropical cyclones

ROCI Type

Less than 2 degrees latitude Very small/midget

2 to 3 degrees of latitude Small

3 to 6 degrees of latitude Medium/Average

6 to 8 degrees of latitude Large

Over 8 degrees of latitude Very large[13]

Size

One measure of the size of a tropical cyclone is determined by measuring the distance from its center of circulation to its outermost closed isobar, also known as its ROCI. If the radius is less than two degrees of latitude or 222 kilometres (138 mi), then the cyclone is "very small" or a "midget". Radii between 3 and 6 latitude degrees or 333 kilometres (207 mi) to 666 kilometres (414 mi) are considered "average sized". "Very large" tropical cyclones have a radius of greater than 8 degrees or 888 kilometres (552 mi).[13] Other methods of determining a tropical cyclone's size include measuring the radius of gale force winds and measuring the radius at which its relative vorticity field decreases to 1×10-5 s-1 from its center.[14][15]

Mechanics

Tropical cyclones form when the energy released by the condensation of moisture in rising air causes a positive feedback loop over warm ocean waters.

Tropical cyclones form when the energy released by the condensation of moisture in rising air causes a positive feedback loop over warm ocean waters.[16]

A tropical cyclone's primary energy source is the release of the heat of condensation from water vapor condensing at high altitudes, with solar heating being the initial source for evaporation. Therefore, a tropical cyclone can be visualized as a giant vertical heat engine supported by mechanics driven by physical forces such as the rotation and gravity of the Earth.[17] In another way, tropical cyclones could be viewed as a special type of mesoscale convective complex, which continues to develop over a vast source of relative warmth and moisture. Condensation leads to higher wind speeds, as a tiny fraction of the released energy is converted into mechanical energy;[18] the faster winds and lower pressure associated with them in turn cause increased surface evaporation and thus even more condensation. Much of the released energy drives updrafts that increase the height of the storm clouds, speeding up c

Answer 3

yes thats true. tornado is at a small scale..and occurs on land whereas hurricane is at a large scale and occurs at sea or ocean.

Answer 4

My dear friend, I'm not so sure that is true.  GOD Bless you.

Answer 5

The sins of the father are spread over their sons if they are spinners, twisters, or charlatans.

Answer 6

Hurricanes are large scale systems and large scale systems are always influenced by the coriolis force(an apparent force created by the rotation of the earth) which makes the hurricanes to rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern hemisphere.But tornadoes are small scale weather systems which are not always influenced by this force.Hence,even though normally they rotate in the counter-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere, sometimes they rotate in the clockwise direction also.

Answer 7

Tornadoes can go either way, tornadoes are just updrafts turned on their sides

Answer 8

they both go either way, hurricanes are more of a strong wind that moves in a huge circle. they are both formed by opposing windsbeginning to spin fast. but its not a tornado until it hits the ground. :-P