Thread: QLD Australia bracing for a cat 5 cyclone in a few hours

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Y'all are in our thoughts and prayers this morning.

I have a question, if I may. I think that Hurricanes and Cyclones rotate in opposite directions so does being south of the equator change the rotation?

looking at this live sat image this one is rotating clockwise.
http://www.weatherchannel.com.au/Wea...#QLD/rainradar

Thanks Barnsey, but the more I look around the net for info on this, the more confused I get. One source said emphatically that hurricanes and cyclones rotate in the opposite direction and then I found this statement.

Cyclonic rotation is a term used to describe the rotating movement of a tropical storm. In the Northern Hemisphere, tropical storms rotate counterclockwise. In the Southern Hemisphere, tropical cyclones rotate clockwise. Both directions of rotation are due to the Coriolis Effect and the major wind belts on Earth.

One more question please?
Is a cyclone just a hurricane that is below the equator, maybe? Or does each of them occur on both sides of the equator?

(no hi-jack intended here)

mello hurricanes is what we call them when they are in the atlantic and pacific when they are close to us. cyclones are what they are called when they are near asia and points west. cyclones are more powerful as they travel over the open warm waters for a longer period of time and gain more power. both hurricanes and cyclones get there direction of rotation from wether they are north or south of the equator. just like toilet bowls flush in different directions north or south of the equator.

Thanks Barb, now I understand !

meller

anytime mello as much as you help me with the car stuff.

Yall be careful down there. Last bad storm I went through was on the north west shelf in Australia a cat 5 cyclone back in 2004. We have been fortunate in south Texas now for quite a few years and been dodging them hurricanes. Be safe and your in our prayers.

Not to get too far off track but the Coriolis Force affects large air masses, but is too weak to affect drains & toilets.

http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp

Sure hope everybody stays safe.

thanks pro. i have been taught that so many years that i thought it was true. i should have known better.

Huh, I've always heard that the water drains a different direction too!!! In fact, I was watching Whale Wars one night and one of the crew was arrested because he boarded a Japanese whaling boat. They took him back to Japan, locked in one cabin on the boat. He said he kept track of when he crossed over the equator because he would periodically fill the sink up with water and watch it drain. When it changed directions he knew he was getting close to Japan.

What do you know????????

Don

My toilet bowl flushes down, what direction does yours go?

Wow all our down under friends I wish you safe and well today! Keep us posted.