Each typhoon name is picked from a huge list, which is administered by an agency of the World Meteorological Organization. This body has a special committee dedicated to developing and updating this list, as well as formulating some naming rules. The purpose of these rules is to make the name of the typhoon simple and distinctive, easy to remember and easy to distinguish, and have a certain connection to the place where the typhoon occurred.
For example, in the North Atlantic, they are called hurricanes, and in the Northwest Pacific, they are called typhoons. This list is not one, but many, and each ocean area has its own list, and each list has its own characteristics.
In the North Atlantic, the names on the list are listed in alphabetical order, and each name is the name of a person, such as Alberto, Beryl, Chris, etc.
There are six such lists, one per year, and then repeated after six years. However, if there are too many typhoons in a year, more than 21, then use the Greek alphabet to name them, such as alpha, beta, gamma, etc. It's not common, but it happened in 2020, when there were 30 named hurricanes.
In the Pacific Northwest, there is no set order of names on the list, but they are provided by various countries, each of which can provide some names related to its own culture and geography, such as Nakri from Cambodia, Fengshen from China, Kalmaegi from North Korea, Fung-wong from Hong Kong, and so on.
These names are usually meaningful words such as animals, plants, mythological figures, good qualities, and so on. There are five such lists, and for every time one is used up, the next one is replaced, regardless of year.
Typhoons are named only to make it easier for people to communicate and distinguish between different storms, not to give them any character or emotion. Sometimes, particularly powerful or destructive typhoons are removed from the list so as not to remind people of the disasters they bring or confusion. For example, in 2013, the Philippines was hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan, causing huge damage and **, and the name was removed from the list as a sign of respect and sympathy.
A typhoon is a powerful and destructive storm that arises over the tropical oceans and brings high-velocity winds and torrential rain. The formation of a typhoon is a complex and magical process that involves a variety of factors in the atmosphere, oceans, and the planet. Let's explore how typhoons form.
Typhoons mostly start to form in areas of low pressure with tropical fluctuations, which often occur in tropical areas, where direct sunlight shines and the sea is warm. Because warm air is able to hold more moisture, tropical fluctuations are warmer and wetter than the surrounding air, often bringing some clouds.
The formation and development of tropical fluctuations are influenced by the monsoon trough, a low-pressure band near the equator in the western Pacific Ocean, which is driven by prevailing winds from South America to Asia and Australia. As tropical fluctuations move westward, they absorb warm, moist air from the ocean's surface, increasing its size. If the temperature of the ocean surface reaches at least 26At 5 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), it provides enough heat and moisture for tropical fluctuations to turn them into typhoons. However, not all tropical fluctuations can become typhoons, and there are a number of other conditions that need to be met.
First, there needs to be a vertical temperature distribution in the atmosphere that cools the warm air enough to cause convection. This means that when the hot air rises, it releases the water vapor it carries, forming a thunderstorm. Second, tropical fluctuations are subject to sustained converging winds located in the lower-middle troposphere, the closest atmosphere to the Earth's surface, at altitudes of about 3 to 6 miles. These winds are often associated with thunderstorms. When tropical fluctuations meet winds with thunderstorms, the heat and moisture of the thunderstorms, as well as the heat from the ocean surface, reinforce the counterclockwise rotation of the storm.
This results in a structure called the mesoscale convective complex, which produces a rotating column of air called a mesoscale convective vortex. This vortex is the beginning of the cyclone. If these forces occur more than 300 miles beyond the equator, there will be an additional force at work. This force is the Coriolis force, which arises due to the rotation of the earth. The Coriolis force deflects the direction of the air's movement, increasing the rotational speed of the typhoon. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force causes the air to deflect to the right, so the typhoon rotates clockwise.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force causes the air to deflect to the left, so the typhoon rotates counterclockwise. When tropical waves are affected by the Coriolis force, they gradually form an organized rotating system called a tropical depression. At the center of the tropical depression is a relatively calm area called the Eye. Around the eye is a strong wind band called the eye wall. The air rising from the eyewall forms clouds at high altitude, called the outer cover. The outer cloud cover spreads outwards to form an umbrella-like structure called the outer cloud cover. These clouds reflect the sun's rays, making the center of the typhoon look bright, like a giant eye.
When a tropical depression reaches winds of 63 kilometers per hour or more, it is upgraded to a tropical storm and is given a name for easy identification and tracking. A tropical storm is upgraded to a typhoon when it reaches a wind speed of 119 km/h or above. Typhoons are graded in five categories, depending on their wind speed and destructive power. Category 1 typhoons have winds between 119 and 153 kilometers per hour, and Category 5 typhoons have winds of more than 252 kilometers per hour. The lifespan of a typhoon is generally between a few days and a few weeks, and it changes with changes in the ocean and atmosphere.
The path of a typhoon is affected by many factors, such as high pressure ridges, low pressure troughs, wind shear, topography, etc. Typhoons generally follow a curved trajectory, sometimes abruptly changing direction, sometimes stagnating, sometimes re-intensifying, and sometimes disappearing. The intensity of a typhoon also varies with time and place, and in general, it weakens gradually as it approaches land or enters a cold-water area because it loses its heat and moisture recharge. When a typhoon makes landfall, it will bring disasters such as strong winds, heavy rains, storm surges, floods, landslides, etc., posing a huge threat to humans and nature.