gCaptain is reporting a "bomb cyclone. But the NHC does not show anything. Both can’t be right?
NHC reports tropical cyclones. The bomb cyclone isn’t tropical.
Thanks. Wasn’t aware of that.
The meaning of the term cyclone changes depending upon context.
CYCLONE - An area of low pressure around which winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Also the term used for a hurricane in the Indian Ocean and in the Western Pacific Ocean.
HURRICANE - A severe tropical cyclone with wind speeds in excess of 74 mph (64 knots).
From the NWS here: Full Weather Glossary
Thanks. I know I have heard the term “cyclone” used in Pacific Ocean storms. L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz used the word “cyclone” incorrectly and was asked to change the word to tornado but he never did.
Beaufort Scale Force12:
- Description: Hurricane,
- Wind speed: 64 kts.,
- Specifications: Devastation. Air filled with foam and spray, very poor visibility.
Source: The Beaufort Wind Scale
Fujiwhara effect going on now. Pretty cool to watch the Windy model. I’m glad I’m not offshore in that.
In this case, a mid-latitude system, it’d be “hurricane-force” winds. The wind speed is being described, not the system.
A TRS that reach Beaufort Force 12 or above is known in the US as a “Hurricane”.
In other parts of the world it is known by different names:
Source: What is a Tropical Revolving Storm ? - Marine Insight Academy
In the rest of the world Hurricane just means wind above Beaufort 12.
Could be the hurricane used that way in another context, I don’t know. Do you have a link/source?
In any case professional mariners generally are more precise given that other mariners will judge them based on their use of terminology.
Yes that is true.
You asked for links, here are a few:
https://nauticalebook.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/unit3.pd
Looking for a link that supports this:
This is the WMO: (World Meteorological Organization)
Hurricane / Typhoon:
A tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface wind (using the U.S. 1- minute average) is 64 kt (74 mph or 119 km/hr) or more. The term hurricane is used for Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclones east of the International Dateline to the Greenwich Meridian. The term typhoon is used for Pacific tropical cyclones north of the Equator and west of the International Dateline. (NHC Glossary)
This is not correct:
In the U.S., as elsewhere, a TRS at BF-12 or above is named according to it’s location. For example if such a TRS in the Pacific was north of the Equator and west of the Dateline it is called a “Typhoon”.
This is from the U.S. edition of the Washington post about Man-Yi:
The storm was downgraded Wednesday from Typhoon Man-yi, which left seven dead in the Philippines and worsened the crisis caused by back-to-back storms that battered the disaster-prone nation.
So then we appears to agree:
Source: https://gpm.nasa.gov/resources/faq/what-difference-between-typhoon-cyclone-and-hurricane
If wind speed exceeding 64 kts, is caused by anything else than a Tropical Cyclone it is called “hurricane force wind”, or just “Hurricane” according to the Beaufort scale.
https://www.weather.gov/mfl/beaufort
Sailing through the Roaring 40’s and the Screaming 50’s, every day feels like a bomb cyclone.
Here’s the relevant part of the Beaufort Scale from Wikipedia:
Here’s the referenced footnote [12]
The names “storm” and “hurricane” on the Beaufort scale refer only to wind strength, and do not necessarily mean that other severe weather (for instance, a thunderstorm or tropical cyclone) is present. To avoid confusion, strong wind warnings will often speak of e.g. “hurricane force winds”.
A vessel encountering a hurricane might be experiencing gale-force, storm-force or hurricane-force winds depending on how close to the center. That column in the Beaufort wind scale table is a description of wind speed, not system type.
Interesting beauty contest.
Normally I wouldn’t bother, too much hassle, but this topic seems important. YMMV.
To end this “beauty contest”
The official names of Tropical Cyclones (aka Tropical Revolving Storms) depending on wind speed:
Source: Tropical Definitions
This being a US institution it uses the term Hurricane for TRS exceeding Hurricane Force Wind in accordance to the Beaufort scale (64? kts.)
In other parts of the world use different names for this phenomena:
Here is another US institution that looks a little further afield:
Source: Hurricanes, Cyclones and Typhoons: What's in a Name? | NESDIS
In most of the world wind speed is stated in meters per sec. (m/sec).
Here is the Beaufort scale in that form:
PS> It appears that we are “arguing” about someting we both agree on:
THE END (from my side)
That was funny.