This section will summarize these differences. Because the pressure gradient and coriolis forces are weaker in the tropics, the wind deviates much more from geostrophic than in the mid-latitudes. Streamlines are used to analyze the wind flow in the tropics instead of isobars and height contours. The wind direction is more constant in the tropics. There are no fronts to cause sudden changes in wind speed and direction.
Forecast models are unable to use the geostrophic approximation in tropical environments.
The Coriolis force is a minimum at the equator. Therefore, tropical storms do not develop within 5 of the equator. There is no earth vorticity to initiate tropical systems close to the equator. Troughs in the tropics have an opposite tilt to those in the mid-latitudes. Mid-latitude troughs dig to the south while tropical trough amplify to the north.