Cyclonic

Describes circulation in the same sense as a cyclone around an area of low pressure.

Cyclonic flow is anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere when viewed from above. The term describes the direction and pressure association of the circulation; it does not by itself specify the system’s size, origin or severity.

Cyclonic curvature or wind shifts may occur around tropical cyclones, extratropical lows and smaller disturbances. Forecast charts, pressure tendency and official warnings provide the context needed for marine decisions.