Tropical cyclone is the catch-all term for the powerful, spinning storms that feed off warm oceans and the strength of which is determined by wind speeds. The strongest are known as hurricanes in the Atlantic and typhoons in the Western Pacific and simply tropical cyclones in the South Pacific.

Three tropical cyclones are spinning in the South Pacific, an occurrence that scientists say is unusual. Trees were knocked down in Fiji from Tropical Cyclone Rae and the Australian state of Queensland is bracing for flooding rainfall from Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Tropical cyclone activity is buzzing across the Southern Hemisphere with as many as six cyclones simultaneously spinning around. According to the Accumulated Cyclone Energy tally complied by Colorado State University,