Typhoon Phanfone batters Philippines

Typhoon Phanfone batters the Philippines

Syllabus subtopic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, Volcanic activity, cyclones etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Prelims and Mains focus: About typhoon Phanfone; about tropical cyclones and their types

News: Typhoon Phanfone pummelled the central Philippines on Christmas Day, bringing a wet, miserable and terrifying holiday to millions in the mainly Catholic nation.

Though weaker, Phanfone was tracking a similar path to Super Typhoon Haiyan, the country’s deadliest cyclone on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

About Tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large scale destruction due to violent winds (squalls), very heavy rainfall (torrential rainfall) and storm surge.
They are irregular wind movements involving the closed circulation of air around a low-pressure centre. This closed air circulation (whirling motion) is a result of rapid upward movement of the hot air which is subjected to Coriolis force. The low pressure at the centre is responsible for the wind speeds.
The cyclonic wind movements are anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere (This is due to Coriolis force).

Regional names for Tropical Cyclones

Regions	Name
Indian Ocean	Cyclones
Atlantic	Hurricanes
Western Pacific and the South China Sea	Typhoons
Western Australia	Willy-willies

Source: The Hindu

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