TROPICAL SOUTH ATLANTIC?
Tropical systems in the southern hemisphere, everything south of the equator, happen throughout the world on a consistent basis. In the south Pacific tropical cyclones affect areas near the Philippines and eastern Australia. The southern Indian ocean sees storms affecting western Australia and as far west as eastern Africa. Tropical systems south of the equator spin in a clockwise rotation, as opposed to the counter-clockwise spin we typically see in our part of the world. When you think of tropical systems in the Atlantic ocean, you think of the area north of the equator between Africa and North America. This includes the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the entire eastern seaboard of the United States. This is because this is where almost all tropical systems in the Atlantic ocean form. In the last 20 years 320 systems have developed into tropical storm status in this area, an average of 16 storms every single year. Last year a record high 30 systems formed. But what about the ...