Tropical Cyclones: Observations and Basic Processes

Tropical cyclones are a major threat to life and property, even in the formative stages of their development. They include a number of different hazards that individually can cause significant impacts, such as extreme winds, storm surge, flooding, tornadoes, and lightning. provides a modern overview of the theory and observations of tropical cyclone structure and behavior. The book begins by summarizing key observations of the structure, evolution, and formation of tropical cyclones. It goes on to develop a theoretical foundation for a basic understanding of tropical cyclone behavior during the storm’s life cycle. Horizontally two-dimensional dynamics of vortex motion and other non-axisymmetric features are considered first before tackling the axisymmetric balance dynamics involving the overturning circulation. Following a review of moist convective processes, later chapters focus mainly on a range of three-dimensional aspects of the tropical cyclone life cycle. Building from first principles, the book provides a state-of-the-art summary of the fundamentals of tropical cyclones aimed at advanced undergraduates, graduate students, tropical meteorologists, and researchers. Members of the Royal Meteorological Society are eligible for a 35% discount on all Developments in Weather and Climate Science series titles. See the RMetS member dashboard for the discount code.