What are the characteristics of a cyclone?

Answer 1

I am assuming that you are talking about tropical cyclones, as I feel that you live in Australia. http://www.bom.gov.au/info/cyclone/ is a great site that gives loads of interesting information about tropical cyclones, including their characteristics. :)

Answer 2

In meteorology, cyclone can have three distinct, but related meanings:

1. It is a term for a low pressure system of any size. In the northern hemisphere these would have counterclockwise winds and in the southern hemisphere they would have clockwise winds.

2. It is a tropical storm system in the Indian Ocean with the same characteristics as a hurricane in the Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific or a typhoon in the West Pacific.

3. Colloquially, it refers to any strong wind, but particularly to tornadoes in North America. This leads to the seemingly paradoxical statement that some cyclones (tornadoes) rotate anti-cyclonically (clockwise).

Answer 3

I presume you are refering to tropical cyclones.In that case, the following are the characteristics.
(1).Very low pressures are recorded in the central portion called the eye.The eye can be seen clearly sometimes in the satellite pictures.
(2)In the eye, fair weather prevails with light winds and little rain.
(3)Winds blow cyclonically(anti-clockwise) around the centre in the northern hemisphere in addition to strong vertical currents.
(4)Torrential rain with violent squalls and thunderstorm occur particularly around the eye and the storm may affect an area of more than 1000 miles in diameter even though the diameter of the cyclone itself may vary from 100 to 500 miles.
(5) The seas associated with the storm experience mountainous waves within and around the eye.
(6) In the northern hemisphere , they initially move north westerly direction and recurve to north easterly direction later.Their average speed of the centre is about 20 knots.
(7) Their shape is generally circular and the diameter of the eye may vary from 5 to 60 miles approximately.