On the motion of a cyclone embedded in a uniform flow

Abstract

Using the barotropic model, an analytical expression for the motion of a cyclone embedded in a uniform flow is obtained. The solution contains as parameters the radius of the vortex, the maximum velocity in the vortex, the velocity of the uniform flow and the variation of the Coriolis parameter.
 It is shown that, if the variation of the Coriolis parameter is neglected, a cyclone initially embedded in a uniform flow moves with the velocity of the flow. However, superimposed with that motion there always exists a north-westward translation due to the variation of the Coriolis parameter that in some cases represents a non-negligible percentage of the total displacement of a hurricane.