Explanation:
impacts them greatly. We wouldn’t even have tropical cyclones if it weren’t for the Coriolis Effect.
Tropical cyclones begin as masses of disorganized showers and storms in/near the Tropics. As wind speeds pick up in these shower/storm masses, a circulation begins to form. The circulation only forms because of the Coriolis Effect, which causes cyclones to spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (and clockwise in the Southern).
As the system matures, winds around its central eye strengthen. Rain becomes more intense. If the storm makes landfall, you might hear a TV meteorologist warn viewers about the “northeastern quadrant” or the “eastern side” of the storm.
This is because the Coriolis force adds momentum and energy to that side of the storm. On the east side of a low pressure system (in the Northern Hemisphere), your wind (which is caused by the pressure gradient force, or differences in air pressure) will be helped along by the Coriolis force. On the west side, the Coriolis force acts against the wind.
Thus, the Coriolis effect ensures that the worst part of most tropical cyclones is the east side, and particularly the northeastern quadrant. This is where the worst winds and heaviest rain will be located.
