What does Anticyclone Mean?

Anticyclone is the region whose atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding air is called.

The anticyclone is a meteorological phenomenon that generates good weather with clear skies, either with cold days or hot days and, rarely occurs with fog or fog.

This is possible because the anticyclone air descends from the upper layers of the atmosphere to the ground, which prevents clouds or rains from forming. Said air descends forming a small angle or constant curve, which can be plotted on a weather map.

However, the anticyclones that occur in the northern hemisphere are characterized in that air circulates in the same direction as clockwise, but, in the southern hemisphere, air circulates in reverse.

Types of anticyclone

There are two types of anticyclone according to their behavior and temperatures.

Thermal anticyclone: ​​it is an anticyclone in which a mass of air descends because it is colder than its surroundings. That is, the air descends by cooling, which increases the atmospheric pressure and reduces the temperatures in the lower atmospheric layers. The result is a sunny, dry and cold day.

Dynamic anticyclone: in this anticyclone the mass of air descends as a result of which it is pushed towards the ground when cold air collides with tropical air. The result is a clear, dry, sunny and hot day.

On the other hand, it is worth mentioning the Azores anticyclone which is a dynamic anticyclone located in the center of the North Atlantic. This anticyclone determines, both in Portugal and in Spain, the hot, dry and sunny days in the summer season.

Difference between anticyclone and cyclone

As stated earlier, anticyclone is a region of the earth’s surface whose atmospheric pressure is greater than that of the surrounding air. On the contrary, a cyclone is the meteorological phenomenon that occurs in regions whose atmospheric or stormy pressure is lower than the air around it.

Cyclones are characterized by causing large accumulation of clouds, strong winds, storms, rains and low temperatures due to the low passage of solar rays to the earth’s surface.

Cyclones acquire greater energy from the condensation of moist air, hence they are responsible for the formation of hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms.