Cyclone and Anticyclone

A cyclone is a storm or wind system that revolves around a low atmospheric pressure centre. An anticyclone is a system of winds that revolves around a high-pressure centre. Both cyclones and anticyclones are known for their distinct weather patterns. Cyclones (also known as lows) are usually signs of impending rain, clouds, and other unpleasant weather. Anticyclones (sometimes referred to as highs) are weather forecasters.

What is a Cyclone?

A cyclone, often known as a low, is a low-pressure area where air masses collide and rise. It usually denotes inclement weather, such as rain and clouds. In the Northern Hemisphere, cyclone winds blow counterclockwise, whereas, in the Southern Hemisphere, they blow clockwise. Air near the ground is forced into the cyclone’s low-pressure core, then climbs higher, expanding and cooling as it does so. The ascending air gets more humid as it cools, resulting in cloudiness and high humidity inside the cyclone. In 1970, one of the worst storms in history struck the Bay of Bengal, killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.

What is an Anti-cyclone?

An anticyclone, also known as a high, is a high-pressure region where air separates and descends. It usually denotes pleasant weather. In the Northern Hemisphere, anticyclone winds blow clockwise, whereas, in the Southern Hemisphere, they blow counterclockwise. A downward surge of air from higher altitudes replaces the air in the core of an anticyclone, forcing it away from its area of high pressure. As the air flows downhill, it compresses and warms up, reducing humidity and resulting in fewer clouds within the anticyclone.

Cyclone and Anti-cyclone: Difference

 Wind systems, cyclones, and anticyclones all have meteorological conditions that are recognised, but they have different features. The main difference is that a cyclone is a low-pressure environment, whereas an anticyclone is a high-pressure one.

Different Meteorological Conditions

Lows are popularly recognised as cyclones, and they are often associated with heat, storms, and other adverse weather conditions. Anticyclones, often known as highs, are forecasters of favourable weather conditions.

The northern hemisphere experiences counterclockwise cyclone winds, whereas the southern hemisphere has clockwise winds. Wind currents shift in the opposite direction during an anticyclone.

In the northern hemisphere, an anticyclone is rotating clockwise. It turns counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. The flow of colder, higher-pressure air, driven by the Earth’s rotation, flows away from the poles and toward the equator, causing the rotation.

When Does an Anticyclone Form?

Anticyclones are connected with good weather in the summer because the eventually warmer and drier air dampens cloud formation. Anticyclones are often associated with calm, steady weather in temperate latitudes. Anticyclones are frequently associated with slow air movement and rotation. In the winter, frost and fog will arise from the dry, steady temperatures and low breezes that are combined with anticyclones. A clear sky allows heat to be transferred from the Earth’s surface to space through radiation, especially at night. It produces a steady reduction in ground temperatures, resulting in hot air and ground.

In late winter or early spring, the temperature below the grounds typically cools so much that a low cloud, or haze, might form. Because of the high winds associated with anticyclones, they can last far into the morning before dissipating later. The light from the Sun warms the ground due to the basic circumstances prevalent with anticyclones in the summer. Longer days, greater sunshine, and hotter temperatures are all possibilities. The climate is mainly dry, however, high temperatures can occasionally result in isolated thunderstorms.

What Conditions cause a Cyclone to form?

Tropical cyclones are colossal engines that churn forth dry, wet air. As a result, they may grow in warm ocean conditions near the equator. Drizzles occur in the clouds as dry, humid air rises from beneath the sea. Tropical cyclones frequently combine extremely low pressure with a small scale, resulting in strong winds and rapid cloud formation. Storm surges can occur when such winds interact with the cyclone, causing coastal regions to be flooded. Finally, they will dump massive amounts of rain. These tropical cyclones bring significant flooding when they move ashore, and their winds go down. 

The warm front of cyclones influences the atmosphere. Storms moving eastward are stretched by these fronts. The cold front produced by cyclones has a second effect on the atmosphere. Hurricanes are pushed to the southwest by such fronts. These represent the chilly, dry air that is leaving the low-pressure region to the southeast.

Conclusion

Cyclones are low-pressure locations, whereas Anti-cyclones are high-pressure places. Winds move in the direction of a cyclone, but away from an anti-cyclone. Cyclones swirl counterclockwise and anti-cyclones swirl clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas cyclones swirl clockwise and anti-cyclones swirl counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Cyclones never reach the equator, yet there are cyclic low- and high-pressure regions in the polar region.