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. Tropical cyclones Rae, Seru and Alfred are all churning as the region is in the peak of a season that starts in November and ends in April.

An unusual situation occurred in the Southern Hemisphere Tuesday afternoon, when 5 tropical storms, called cyclones in that part of the world, spun in the southern Indian and Pacific oceans at the same time.

The unusual activity is "a lot to happen at once, but not unprecedented," an atmospheric science professor said.

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,