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Typhoon StructureRelated Terms
15 in category
In Context
The tightness and organization of spiral rainbands on satellite imagery is one of the visual cues forecasters use to estimate a storm's intensity when direct wind measurements are unavailable.
Related Terms in Typhoon Structure
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Center of Circulation
The center of circulation is the precise point around which a typhoon's winds rotate, tracked by forecasters to plot the storm's position and path.
Central Dense Overcast (CDO)
The central dense overcast, or CDO, is the thick shield of high clouds covering a typhoon's core, visible on satellite imagery as a solid white mass.
Cloud Shield
The cloud shield is the broad canopy of high cirrus clouds that spreads outward from a typhoon's core, often visible on satellite well before the storm's center arrives.
Convective Bands
Convective bands are elongated clusters of thunderstorms within a typhoon's circulation, another term used for the same feature as rainbands.
Cyclonic Circulation
Cyclonic circulation refers to counterclockwise rotating wind flow around a low pressure center in the Northern Hemisphere, the defining motion of a tropical cyclone.
Eye
The eye is the calm, roughly circular center of a typhoon, typically 30 to 65 kilometers wide, where winds are light and skies can be clear.
Eyewall
The eyewall is the ring of towering thunderstorms immediately surrounding the eye, where a typhoon's strongest winds and heaviest rain occur.
Eyewall Replacement Cycle
An eyewall replacement cycle occurs when a second, outer ring of thunderstorms forms around an intense typhoon, gradually chokes off the original eyewall, and takes its place.
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This definition is part of the azifind.com Typhoon Wiki, informed by PAGASA and the World Bank/GFDRR catastrophe risk data used across our province pages. View all Typhoon Wiki terms →