Cyclone vs Anticyclone
Low-pressure converging systems versus high-pressure diverging systems — winds, weather, and hemisphere rotation.
Start here
A cyclone is a low-pressure weather system where surface air converges, rises, cools, and condenses — producing clouds, rain, and storms. An anticyclone is a high-pressure system where air subsides, warms, and diverges outward — bringing stable, clear, and generally dry weather.
Weather maps show “L” and “H” symbols. Cyclones (lows) spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), drawing air inward and upward — breeding clouds. Anticyclones spin clockwise in NH, pushing air outward and downward — suppressing rain.
UPSC tests wind direction, associated weather, tropical cyclone vs temperate cyclone separately, and winter “western disturbance” as a temperate cyclone embedded in westerlies.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Cyclone | Anticyclone |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature profile | Warm core (tropical) or frontal (temperate) | Cold or warm anticyclone depending on origin |
| Tropical example | Bay of Bengal cyclone (Amphan, Fani) | Subtropical high over oceans (horse latitudes) |
| India relevance | Oct–Dec east coast, pre-monsoon Arabian Sea | Winter NW high, post-monsoon clear skies |
| Coriolis effect | Deflects winds into cyclonic spiral | Deflects into anticyclonic spiral |
| Vertical stability | Unstable — uplift sustains convection | Stable subsidence — inversion possible |
| Season in India | Pre-monsoon & post-monsoon Bay/Arabian Sea | Winter NW plains; clear post-monsoon skies |
At a glance
Pressure centre
Low (L)
High (H)
Air motion
Convergence at surface, uplift
Divergence at surface, subsidence
Weather
Cloudy, rainy, stormy
Clear, stable, dry (except winter fog under inversion)
NH wind circulation
Counter-clockwise (cyclonic)
Clockwise (anticyclonic)
Bay of Bengal cyclone vs January Delhi high
A Bay of Bengal cyclone (low) pulls moist air spiralling inward — heavy rain, storm surge on Odisha coast. In January, a Siberian anticyclone extension brings cold dry high pressure over North India — clear skies, cold nights, fog in Indo-Gangetic plain.
What this means for the exam
Low = convergence + rain | High = divergence + dry/clear.
Understand the difference
Temperate vs tropical cyclone (don’t merge)
Temperate cyclones form on frontal zones in mid-latitudes (western disturbances). Tropical cyclones need warm sea surface (>26–27°C) and low vertical shear. Both are cyclones (lows) but different genesis — UPSC may test both under “cyclonic systems.”
Prelims statement check
“In the Northern Hemisphere, winds around an anticyclone blow counter-clockwise.”
Incorrect — Rotation
Anticyclones are clockwise in NH; cyclones are counter-clockwise.
“Cyclones are associated with ascending air and cloud formation.”
Correct — Vertical motion
Correct — uplift causes cooling, condensation, and precipitation.
PYQ Linkage
Anticyclonic conditions in the Northern Hemisphere are characterised by:
Key Takeaway
Cyclone (L) = converge, rise, rain | Anticyclone (H) = diverge, sink, clear