Cyclone Jude

Cyclone Jude: The Cyclone hit Mozambique, causing six fatalities and destroying 900 homes which initially identified as a depression south-west of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

• About Cyclone: Caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area with swift, destructive air circulation, accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.

o Air circulates anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

• Classifications: Extra-tropical Cyclones (Occur in temperate zones and high latitude regions) & Tropical Cyclones (Develop between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer over tropical or subtropical waters)

• How are Cyclones Formed?

o Formation and Initial Development Stage: Requires warm sea temperatures (26°C+ to a depth of 60m) for evaporation and water vapour transfer.

• Atmospheric instability encourages the formation of vertical cumulus clouds.

o Mature Tropical Cyclones: Air rises in vigorous thunderstorms, spreads out at the tropopause level, creating a warm 'Eye'.

• The ‘Eye’ may be circular, concentric, or elliptical.
• In the Indian Ocean, mature cyclones have concentric thundercloud bands.