About Cyclone Chido:
- Cyclone Chido recently struck Mayotte, a French Indian Ocean territory located in the Mozambique Channel.
- Wind speeds reached 200 km/h, making it the strongest cyclone to hit Mayotte in over 90 years.
About Mayotte
- Geographical location: Mayotte is part of the Comoros archipelago, situated in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean. It consists of two main islands: Grande Terre (main island) and Petite Terre (Pamandzi, smaller island).
What is a Cyclone?
A cyclone is a large-scale air system that rotates around the centre of a low-pressure area, typically bringing violent storms and extreme weather conditions.
- In the Northern Hemisphere, cyclones rotate anticlockwise.
- In the Southern Hemisphere, cyclones rotate clockwise due to the Coriolis effect.
Characteristics of Tropical Cyclones:
- Calm Center: The centre (eye) of the cyclone remains calm with low air pressure.
- High Wind Speed: Cyclones generally have an average speed of around 120 km/h.
- Closed Isobars: Isobars (lines of equal atmospheric pressure) are tightly packed, leading to high wind velocity.
- Formation Over Oceans: Cyclones develop only over warm oceans and seas.
- East-to-West Movement: Cyclones are influenced by trade winds, moving from east to west.
- Seasonal Nature: They occur during specific seasons, depending on regional climatic conditions.
Classification of Cyclones:
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies cyclones based on wind speeds:
- Depression: 31–49 km/h
- Deep Depression: 50–61 km/h
- Cyclonic Storm: 62–88 km/h
- Severe Cyclonic Storm: 89–117 km/h
- Very Severe Cyclonic Storm: 118–166 km/h
- Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm: 166–221 km/h
- Super Cyclonic Storm: Above 222 km/h
Q1. What is an Anticyclone?
An anticyclone is a large-scale wind system that rotates around a center of high atmospheric pressure. In the Northern Hemisphere, it rotates clockwise, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it rotates counterclockwise. Its wind flow direction is the opposite of that of a cyclone.
Last updated on June, 2026
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