Different Types of Tropical Storms

There are several different types of tropical storms, usually characterized by intensity and atmospheric pressure. These storms vary from 300 to 1500 kilometers in diameter, and their direction of movement is typically westward (eastward in the western Atlantic Ocean). These systems usually only develop in particular seasons across the world. The most active months are September and August.

Transition to a tropical depression

Across certain oceanic gyres, tropical cyclones develop due to a low pressure system. As air currents develop, the system is classified as a tropical depression once sustained wind speeds reach 62 kilometers per hour.

High intensity systems

As surface winds develop in excess of 63 to 118 kilometers per hour, the system is now a tropical storm rather than a tropical depression. Once this speed progresses past 118 kilometers per hour, the system is identified as a hurricane. A hurricane is capable of doing enormous damage to structures, individuals and the environment, and these systems require more careful analysis and observation to formulate a credible prediction.

Eye of the storm

As the eye of the storm encompasses an area of 20 kilometers, accurate prediction of a tropical storm's movement is of vital importance in terms of both safety and logistics.

These classifications correlate to the potential damage that a topical storm is capable of inflicting. Although difficulties in forecasting methods may lead one to feel skeptical, knowing the category of a storm is usually a good indicator of what actions one should take in preparation for such an event.