If they choose a coastal area they may mention a rise in the sea level i.e. a storm surge. The surge is produced by the combined effects of the sudden reduction in atmospheric pressure and the very strong winds piling up the sea water. The worst surges occur when the cyclones coastal crossing time coincides with a very high tide. More than 140,000 people were drowned in Bangladesh in 1991 through the flooding of coastal communities by a storm surge generated by a tropical cyclone. Satellites are used to detect and track cyclones.
Geostationary satellites take photos of the earth at hourly intervals.
These help us to see if a cyclone is forming and allow us to track its movements. Warnings can then be given to areas that seem to be in its path. They are similar. The Bureau's logo is a stylised representation of the southern hemispere tropical cyclone, with winds spiralling clockwise and inwards to the calm, cloudless 'eye' at its low pressure centre. Why the Bureau chose that symbol is arguable and can be related to the Bureau's Service Charter .