A set of practical skills for determining the intensities of tropical cyclones is summed up on the basis of experiences of more than 20 years, i.e., to estmate the tropical cyclone intensity, the shortterm moving trend and the influence on wind and rainfall. The impacts of the continent or large islands on cloud types of tropical cyclones are divided in four categories by severity: slight, moderate, serious, and severe. The basic cloud types of 10 kinds that can be used to estimate the shortterm movement of tropical cyclones, as well as the intensity, duration, and mode of influencing, are described. The structure of cloud types on cloud pictures is considerably indicative of the impacts of tropical cyclones on winds and rainfall.