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

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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.