A tropical cyclone does not form over night. It requires the right combination of warm sea surface temperatures and type of outflow.

Tropical cyclones form around the equator, between the two latitudinal boundaries, the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. These areas are between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. To initiate a tropical cyclone, the ocean waters need to be warm, with the sea-surface temperature being at least 26.5°C or higher. The ocean waters around the equator fulfil this requirement.

The warm heat from the sun causes the water to evaporate, forming clouds above the ocean. If there is the presence of a low air pressure system where the clouds are forming, it pulls them in and the clouds begin to rotate. A cyclone's clouds rotate due to the Earth's rotation on its spinning axis. This phenomenon is called the Coriolis effect. The rising warm air then causes pressure to decrease at higher altitudes. As the air rises gradually faster to fill this low pressure, it thus then draws more warm air from the sea and sucking cooler, drier air downwards. As the storm moves over the ocean, it gathers up more warm, moist air and the wind speeds start to increase as more of this air is sucked into the low pressure centre. It may take hours or several days for a depression to grow into a fully-matured tropical cyclone.

During this stage, it can either:

Fully develop into a mature cyclone
Lose its momentum

If the cyclone reaches the stage of developing into a mature cyclone, it will still be able to increase or decrease in size and wind speed. Cyclones consist of an eye (centre of the cyclone) of calm winds and low pressure, surrounded by a spinning vortex of high winds and heavy rainstorms.

In order for it to be officially categorized as a cyclone, it must sustain an average wind speed exceeding that of 63 kilometres per hour. To be classified further as a severe cyclone, it must sustain an average wind speed exceeding that of 118 kilometres per hour.

Tropical cyclones are able to sustain themselves after they have formed, that is, they are self-maintaining. The wind diverges at the top of the cyclone. This draws more air upwards, resulting in a low pressure at the surface and leading to a further uplift of air. This constant process of uplift, condensation, and release of suppressed heat is what keeps the cyclone alive.

Once a mature cyclone arrives over land, its strength weakens because their source of energy disappears, and they begin to dissipate. Such effects are caused due to the lack of moisture and heat of the land compared to that of the ocean in which it was formed over.