Understanding the Weather [ 435 



CYCLONES A CONFUSING TERM 



Many people use the term "cyclone" for these violent 

 storms. In fact, the "cyclone cellar" is the common description of 

 an underground retreat used for escaping tornadoes. The word is 

 rather confusing, for to weathermen a cyclone is a low-pressure 

 area which is not violent and may extend over thousands of square 

 miles. These cyclones pass over us every few days and generally 

 cause no more of a change than increased cloudiness. 



However, it became customary to apply the term "cyclone" to 

 a certain type of storm that developed about low-pressure centers 

 in the Indian Ocean. From this the usage of the term broadened 

 until it became identified with tornadoes. 



Hurricanes Several Hundred Miles Wide: A hurricane is not 

 accompanied by a funnel-shaped cloud; but its speed may reach 

 150 miles an hour and the width of its path is far greater than that 

 of a tornado. This width is generally several hundred miles. Hurri- 

 canes always start on the ocean. 



Forecasting the Weather from the Clouds 

 CLOUDS AND FOG 



The best way for a youngster to "get the feel" of a cloud 

 is simply to walk through fog for fog is nothing more than a 

 cloud in contact with the ground or a body of water. Once a child 

 knows that cloud and fog are the same, his logical question then 

 is, "What keeps some clouds up in the sky?" and, "Why don't they 

 fall down to earth like this one?" 



FEATHERY AND BILLOWY CLOUDS 



These questions are fairly easy to answer if we can forget 

 that constantly repeated phrase, "floating clouds." Clouds really 

 do not float; they tend to fall earthward. However, certain forces 

 act to prevent their falling. For example, the great billowy white 

 mounds that we call cumulus clouds are supported by the strength 

 of ascending air currents. In the more feathery ("cirrus") type of 

 cloud formation we may see some of its moisture fall as snow or 



