What is an extratropical cyclone?

Question

Please give a good description of it and do not copy and paste anything, especially from wikipedia.

Answer 1

The extra-tropical cyclones have their origin in the polar front.They form in higher latitudes particularly where the cold polar easterlies meet the warm moist  westerlies(at about 60 degree latitudes).So,the structure of extra-tropical cyclones is itself frontal unlike the tropical cyclones which contain no fronts.These are more frequent in winter whereas tropical cyclones form in the summer or early  autumn.They do not develop eye which is a common feature in tropical cyclones.Extra-tropical cyclone never moves towards tropics whereas tropical cyclones can move towards higher latitude and become extra-tropical cyclone.Moreover rainfall distribution is different in both storms.

Otherwise,both are areas of low pressure having the same type of wind circulation.Both cause abundant precipitation.

Answer 2

An extratropical cyclone is a former tropical cyclone that has lost its "tropical" characteristics. This happens in most cases when a tropical cyclone moves poleward and encounters cooler air and/or water temperatures.  This causes the conversion of the cyclone's primary energy source from the release of heat from condensation of water vapor to baroclinic (the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses) processes.  Even so, cyclones can become extratropical and still have winds of hurricane or tropical storm force.  Great Britain sometimes gets these types of storms.

Answer 3

this is when a cyclone moves away from the tropical area and heads for cooler water.