How Typhoons are Formed
A tropical cyclone – whether called a typhoon, a cyclone, or a hurricane – is one of the most destructive disasters known to man.
It is one of the Earth's strongest forces, a combination of strong, howling winds and heavy precipitation.
But how does this force of nature form?
Observe what happens when you heat water in a covered pot. As the temperature of the water in the pot rises, some of the water evaporates, making the interior of the pot cloudy, and some water condenses on the surface of the lid. When enough moisture collects on the lid, it forms water droplets, and when it becomes bigger and heavier, it falls back to the water below.
This, in a nutshell, is a way of explaining one of the most important parts of the planet's water cycle. Warm water evaporates, rising to the atmosphere, forming clouds. When enough heavy clouds form, it falls back to the surface as rain.
In the warm, open seas just off the equator, the water is considerably warmer; so is the air. The warm air helps the also-warm water evaporate faster; and this hot, moist mass of air would go up, following the basic tenet that "warm air goes up, cool air goes down."
1. Typhoons start off as tropical thunderstorms. The strong winds pull in moisture from the oceans.
2. The thunderstorms convert the moisture into heat. The heat causes more air to flow to the centre of the storm causing evaporation.
3. All the heat and air flow toward the eye creating the typhoon.
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