Australian east coast low
Australian east coast lows are extratropical cyclones or low-pressure systems on the coast of southeastern Australia that
may be caused by both mid-latitude and tropical influences over a variety of levels in the atmosphere.
A MODIS Terra image of an east coast low on 25 June 2013.
The low approaching the New South Wales coast in February 2021
Pasha Bulker stranded by an east coast cyclone on Nobbys Beach, Newcastle June 2007
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of producing anything from cloudiness and mild showers to severe gales, thunderstorms, blizzards, and tornadoes. These types of cyclones are defined as large scale (synoptic) low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth. In contrast with tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones produce rapid changes in temperature and dew point along broad lines, called weather fronts, about the center of the cyclone.
A powerful extratropical cyclone over the North Atlantic Ocean in March 2022
Approximate areas of extratropical cyclone formation worldwide
Hurricane Cristobal (2014) in the north Atlantic after completing its transition to an extratropical cyclone from a hurricane
QuikSCAT image of typical extratropical cyclones over the ocean. Note the maximum winds are on the outside of the occlusion.