Definition
The rotation of air around a low-pressure center. In the Northern Hemisphere this rotation is counterclockwise; in the Southern Hemisphere it is clockwise. The pattern results from the pressure gradient pulling air toward the low while the Coriolis effect deflects that moving air, producing a curved, inward-spiraling flow.
Plain English
Air spinning around an area of low pressure. North of the equator it spins to the left (counterclockwise); south of the equator it spins to the right.
Context Anchor
Seen in weather and wind-pattern discussions when explaining how air moves around low-pressure systems.
Derivation
From the Greek 'kyklon,' meaning 'whirling around' or 'circle.' The same root gives us 'cyclone.' It captures the essential idea: air circling around a center, rather than flowing in a straight line.
Why Pilots Care
Understanding the direction of flow helps pilots anticipate surface winds, crosswind components, and weather associated with low-pressure systems.
Grounding Statement
Picture a low on a weather map; the wind arrows curl inward and around it like water spiraling toward a drain.
Intuition Check
Cyclonic does not automatically mean a tornado or hurricane. Here it means the turning wind pattern around a low-pressure area.
Example Sentence 1
The surface chart showed cyclonic circulation over the Great Lakes, with winds shifting from southerly to westerly as the low passed.
Example Sentence 2
With cyclonic circulation present, the winds backed and increased as the low approached from the west.