tropical cyclone![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Low-pressure zone that forms in the intertropical region and is marked by violent precipitation and swirling winds of 74 to 185 mph.
low-pressure area ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
A rising column of air causes a decrease in air pressure on the ocean’s surface.
spiral cloud band ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
eye ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Relatively calm zone in the center of the cyclone, with light winds and very few clouds; it is about 20 mi in diameter.
rising warm air ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
A hot air column forms when the ocean’s surface is warmed by the Sun.
heavy rainfall ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
subsiding cold air ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Cool air that reaches the top of the clouds and once again descends, becoming warmer as it becomes more compressed.
convective cell ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Phenomenon formed by hot humid air that rises and condenses to form a cloud, and a descending current of cold air.
eye wall ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Thick layer of cloud that swirls around the eye; it has the most powerful winds (up to 185 mph) and the most intense precipitation.
high-pressure area ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Column of ascending air that causes a rise in upper air pressure, at the top of the most developed clouds.
prevailing wind ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
It moves the cyclone forward at an average speed of 15 mph.