Why does a typhoon spin round and round?
For grown-ups: the science
Air rises over the warm sea, and air around it gathers in. The spinning Earth makes that air bend as it moves.
A typhoon is a low-pressure storm powered by heat and water vapor from the warm sea. Air flows toward its low-pressure center, but Earth’s spin bends the moving air. In the Northern Hemisphere, this makes the winds circle counterclockwise. Winds often become stronger closer to the center because the pressure difference is greater.
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Transcript
Over the warm ocean, clouds spin in a big circle. Why do they do that?
Over the warm ocean, lots of air rises up. Air from around it gathers in the open space.
The Earth is spinning, so moving air bends a little to the side. The gathering air slowly becomes a swirl.
Near Japan, the swirl turns counterclockwise. The closer it gets to the middle, the stronger the wind can become.
Heat from the ocean and the spinning Earth make the wind swirl. That is why typhoons spin round and round.