Final answer:
When the wind crosses the equator to the Southern Hemisphere, it experiences the Coriolis force which deflects the winds to the left causing a clockwise rotation of tropical cyclones. This effect is a result of Earth's rotation and significantly impacts wind patterns and weather systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the wind crosses the equator to the Southern Hemisphere, it is affected by the Coriolis effect or Coriolis force. This force acts differently in each hemisphere due to the Earth's rotation. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis force deflects winds to the right, leading to a counterclockwise rotation of systems like hurricanes. Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes winds to be deflected to the left, resulting in a clockwise rotation of tropical cyclones.
The Coriolis force is crucial to understanding large-scale motions such as wind patterns and is particularly noticeable in how it affects the weather systems. It's responsible for the distinct direction of storm rotation in different hemispheres and plays a role in the formation of severe weather like hurricanes, which require warm ocean temperatures of at least 80 °F, rising moist air, and cyclonic patterns influenced by the Earth's rotation.