The Spin Of Hurricaines/cyclones/willywillys, Etc

[cyclonic happiness]

I was just sitting here wondering something....?

If a cyclone that was borne in the southern hemisphere and therefore was spinning clockwise, strayed across the equator and into the northern hemisphere, where the storms spin anti-clockwise, would the storm lose a massive amount of power as it's forced to try to spin in the opposite direction?

I know it sounds like a silly question, but it's been bugging me for ages!

[Ben_Cambs]

I think it would take one mega hurricane to cross the equator, the lack of coriolis force between 5 degrees north and 5 degrees south would probably disintegrate any hurricanes that were tracking towards the equator.

May not be right about this, but just a thought.

[Cookie]

it would have to go over the inter tropical convengence zone aswell

[cyclonic happiness]

I wonder if it has ever happened?

[knocker]

Hurricanes rarely form near the equator, where the coriolis parameter is close to zero. There is definate connection between the seasonal position of the Equatorial Trough and zones of hurricane formation, which is borne out by the fact that no hurricanes occur in the South Atlantic (where the trough never lies south of of 5deg. S) or in the south-east Pacific (where the trough lies north of the equator ).

[johnholmes]

Hurricanes rarely form near the equator, where the coriolis parameter is close to zero. There is definate connection between the seasonal position of the Equatorial Trough and zones of hurricane formation, which is borne out by the fact that no hurricanes occur in the South Atlantic (where the trough never lies south of of 5deg. S) or in the south-east Pacific (where the trough lies north of the equator ).

not true Fred

one at least has occurred off the coast of Brazil

[knocker]

not true Fred

one at least has occurred off the coast of Brazil

I was deliberately ignoring that one John because as far as I know nobody knows why that became a cat. 1