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Stormy Weather

Hurricanes, Monsoons, and Tropical Storms

Does the Coriolis effect make the water in my toilet, sink, and bathtub swirl clockwise?

No, the Coriolis effect has very little effect on such small bodies of water. The flow down the drain is mostly a function of the shape of the container. Interestingly, if your body were completely symmetrical (and no one’s is) and neither leg were longer and you were walking on perfectly flat land then you might start veering due to the Coriolis effect.



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