Topic: Cyclone
Cyclone
A cyclone is a tropical storm or
atmospheric turbulence involving
circular motion of winds.
Technically, a cyclone is an area of
low pressure where strong winds
blow around a center in an
anticlockwise direction in the
Northern Hemisphere and a
clockwise direction in the Southern
Hemisphere.
Location of Tropical Cyclone
Cyclones occurring in the tropical
regions are called tropical cyclones.
The tropics can be regarded as the
region lying between 30°N latitude
and 30ºS latitude.
Bangladesh is part of the humid
tropics, with the Himalayas on the
north and the funnel shaped coast
touching the Bay of Bengal on the
south. The Bay of Bengal is an ideal
breeding ground for tropical cyclones.
Formation of tropical cyclone
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Formation of cyclone
• Cyclones develop over the warm oceans
when surface temperature is more than
27°C.
• The air above the sea gets heated, it
expands and rises very rapidly. This creates
an area of intense low pressure.
• The warm, moist air rises upwards,
condensing to form clouds and rain. Air from
the surrounding high pressure area rushes
inward in a spiraling manner to replace the
rising warm air.
• This spinning air absorbs large amounts of
moisture forming cumulonimbus clouds
which result in heavy rain.
• The cold air then sinks. The center of the
cyclone is calm and is known as the eye
Activity: [Link] affected areas of Bangladesh
Resource Skills Task
1. Study the map above.
Name two high- risk areas
to be hit by cyclones. What
will the surge heights be in
those areas?
2. How far inland is likely to
be affected by a cyclone?
3. Is Dhaka likely to be
affected by a cyclone?
Justify your answer.
Effects of tropical cyclone
❖ Main effects of tropical cyclones include heavy rainfall with
flooding, strong wind, large storm surges near landfall, and
tornadoes.
❖ They cause a lot of harm to towns and villages, causing severe
damage to kuccha houses. Coastal businesses like shipyards and
oil wells are destroyed.
❖ They harm the ecosystem of the surrounding region.
❖ Civic facilities are disturbed.
❖ Agricultural land is severely affected, especially in terms of water
supply and soil erosion.
❖ It causes harm to human, plant and animal life.
❖ Communication systems are badly affected due to cyclones.
Tropical Cyclone: Precautions
• Early warning to the people living in the coastal areas through
different medias.
• Taking the people living in low lying coastal areas to the cyclone
shelters.
• Storing dry food and essential life saving medicines.
• Creating a belt of forest along the coast.
• Building high embankment along the coast to stop the storm surge.
Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal
From 1981 to 1985, 174 severe cyclones (with winds speeds of more
than 54 km/hr) formed in the Bay of Bengal. Cyclone cause the
maximum damage when they come into Bangladesh. This is because
of:
• The low flat terrain
• High density of population
• Poorly built houses.
Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal
Most of the damage caused by
the cyclones occur in the coastal
regions of Khulna, Patuakhali,
Barisal, Noakhali and
Chittagong and the offshore
islands of Bhola, Hatiya,
Sandwip, Manpura, Kutubdia,
Maheshkhali, Nijhum Dwip, Urir
Char and other newly formed
islands.
Activity: 5. Frequency of cyclones in Bangladesh
Resource Skills Task
Look at the graph above.
1. In which month is the
frequency of cyclones
the highest in
Bangladesh? Explain
why most cyclones
happen then.
2. In which three months
are there the least
amount of cyclones?
Why do you think this is
so?
Reflection Question
1. Why do you think a cyclone is termed as a 'disaster'?
2. What are the adverse effects caused by a cyclone?
[Link] do storm surges strike the coast?
4. Describe the weather conditions as a cyclone passes
overhead.