Global Atmospheric Circulation

Tropical Cyclones

In this course, Dr Xiangbo Feng (University of Reading) gives us an overview of tropical cyclones, enormous weather systems mostly found in tropical oceans that can cause huge amounts of damage to people and infrastructure. We begin by: (i) understanding the role of global atmospheric circulation cells and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in their genesis; (ii) characteristics of tropical cyclones; (iii) their life cycle; (iv) hazards associated with tropical cyclones; (v) predicting and preparing for tropical cyclones; (vi) the impact of climate change on tropical cyclones; and finally (vii) a case study of a tropical cyclone, Super Typhoon Rai, which struck in December 2021.

Global Atmospheric Circulation

In this lecture, we begin our course on tropical cyclones by discussing global atmospheric circulation, a crucial factor determining the occurrence of tropical cyclones. We learn about the structure of the three global atmospheric circulation systems: Polar, Ferrel and Hadley cells, and their roles in global climate patterns such as the Coriolis effect. In addition, we understand the role of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), another crucial factor in the genesis of most tropical cyclones.