Question #3847e

1 Answer
Apr 25, 2017

Depends more on the pressure gradient than the actual air pressure.

Explanation:

Wind velocity is speed and direction. The direction is dependent on what hemisphere you are in so for this example we will stay in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the northern hemisphere Buys Ballot's Law states when the wind is at your back the low pressure will be to your left. Since the center of the tropical cyclone is the lowest pressure, that means that the wind will always be moving in a counter clockwise (also know as cyclonic) direction.

As for the speed. The central pressure is not as important as the pressure gradient. In other words it is the rate that the pressure changes over the distance that controls the speed of the wind. That being said, the lower the central pressure in a tropical cyclone is more than likely going to result in a stronger pressure gradient.