From: Steve (Primus) (Avatar) 30/10/2001 5:40:08 Subject: STEVE'S WEATHER FAQ post id: 476397 If we had a mother of a cyclone or anticyclone heading at high speed for the equator This is a science forum and as such I think we should use correct terminology. 1. All low pressure systems are cyclones and all high pressure systems are anticyclones. They are called cyclones and anticyclones in Europe, not lows and highs. 2. Tropical revolving storms occur in both hemispheres in the tropics in the summer. These are called Hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans; they are called Typhoons in the South China Sea; they are called Tropical Cyclones in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. 3 All Tropical Cyclones (abbr. TC) are cyclones just as every Rottweiller is a canine but not every dog is a Rotty. 4. All TCs have names. Now, back to your question. Tropical cyclones form on the equatorial/monsoon trough which, in our summer, is over northern Australia. The prevailing winds steer the TC away from the equator to the south of the trough. It is impossible for the storm to move against the wind flow and cross the equator. The biggest "mother" of a tropical cyclone this country has ever seen was TC "Vance" early this year. This category 5 TC produced the strongest winds ever recorded in Australia. It followed an almost standard TC path down the northwest coast of WA then turning south to southeast to hit Learmonth. Tropical cyclones go nowhere near the equator, Anticyclones are high pressure systems and the closest they get to the equator is on the sub-tropical ridge at about 30 degrees south.