In the Tropics, cyclonic storms can develop into large
strength and become the most destructive of all storms. If you look
from above a cyclone, it will look like a huge doughnut. The
cloudless center of this donut is known as the "eye". The storm itself
may be 60 to 1,200 miles (100 to 2,000 kilometers) in diameter. The
eye is usually 12 to 62 miles (20 to 100 kilometers) across and is well
defined by a cylindrical wall of clouds. They sweep over islands and
peninsulas and frequently skirt along coastlines. When they strike a
large land area, such as a continent, they slowly die; the storms are
cut off by a source of energy, and friction caused by the land slows
their winds.
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