The Stages associated with a tropical Cyclone
Tropical Cyclones have a life cycle they go through. The first stage is referred to as a wave when the satellite imagery picks up on an area of thunderstorm developing in the ocean in the tropical region. If the thunderstorms hold together and get better organized it will then get upgraded to a tropical depression. During this stage of its life it will have a better organization to its thunderstorms and also the winds will be increasing. The third stage that occurs is the formation of a Tropical Storm. When any system hits this level the winds begin to increase greatly and it is possible to see winds in the 50-60mph range. The next stage of a storm is to be upgraded to a Hurricane in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, a Typhoon in the Western Pacific or a Cyclone in the Southern Pacific. All of these names mean one thing. A very strong storm is spinning in the ocean with winds in excess of 74mph. Once a storm hits the Hurricane or Typhoon level it will develop what is known as an eye in the center of the storm. The eye is also known for its relatively calm winds. Many people misunderstand that the eye wall is only the center of the storm and that there is still another side of the storm to come. If a Hurricane or Typhoon continues to strengthen it can be upgraded to what is known as a Major Hurricane or Super Typhoon. This means that the storm has reached the CAT3 level or stronger and needs to be taken very serious as it could create catastrophic amounts of damage over the area it hits.