Low Pressure, Depression, and Cyclone

1. Low Pressure

Definition: A region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than in surrounding areas.

Weather Effects: Low-pressure systems are often associated with cloudy skies, precipitation, and storms because the lower pressure encourages air to rise, cool, and condense into clouds and precipitation.

General Understanding: When you hear about low pressure, it’s generally referring to an area where weather conditions are less stable and often unsettled, like rain or storms.

2. Depression

Definition: A depression is a type of low-pressure area, but it is typically associated with weaker winds than a cyclone or storm. It usually represents a relatively small and less intense low-pressure system.

Weather Effects: A depression often leads to cloudy skies and light to moderate rainfall, and is a less intense weather system compared to a storm or cyclone.

General Understanding: In meteorology, the term depression refers to a low-pressure system that can bring moderate bad weather, such as rain and clouds, but without the intensity of a storm.

3. Cyclone

Definition: A cyclone is a more intense form of a low-pressure system that has a well-defined, rotating center of low pressure. It can develop from a depression or tropical disturbance.

Types:

• Tropical Cyclones: Form over warm ocean waters and include systems like hurricanes and typhoons. They can cause significant wind damage, storm surges, and heavy rainfall.
• Extratropical Cyclones: Form in temperate regions and are driven by different atmospheric dynamics than tropical cyclones.

Weather Effects: Cyclones bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and stormy weather. In extreme cases (like hurricanes or typhoons), they can lead to widespread destruction.