Video narration
Ever seen your breath fog a cold window-and wondered how warm ocean water builds a cyclone? Over warm seas, water heats the air above it and adds moisture; that moist air rises. Water around 26.5 degrees Celsius or warmer can help fuel this, but temperature alone isn't enough. As the air climbs, it cools; water vapour condenses into tiny droplets, forming clouds. Clouds don't just show the storm. Condensation releases heat, helping air rise further. That rising air lowers pressure near the sea, pulling in more warm, moist air. It rises too, and the cycle feeds itself. Earth's rotation curves incoming air through the Coriolis effect-the way rotation bends its path-helping the storm spin. That turning effect is too weak near the equator for cyclones to form. With warm water and favourable winds, the system can intensify into a tropical cyclone. So how does a cyclone form? Warm, moist air rises, releases heat as it condenses, draws in more air, and gains spin from Earth's rotation.