Whats the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon?

Question

Whats the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon?

Answer 1

All of them are "tropical cyclones".  A Hurricane is the name for a severe tropical low (spinning in a counterclockwise direction) in the Atlantic (including the Caribbean) as well as the Northern Pacific area of North America (ie east of the International Dateline).  Cyclones are just another name for a Hurricane, however they spin clockwise and are found in the Southern Hemisphere; especially in the Southern Pacific and Southern Indian oceans.  Typhoons are Asian "Hurricanes" and appear in the Northern Pacific and Northern Indian oceans (ie north of the Equator and west of the International Dateline).

They're all the same storm basically; just depends on where you are on this planet as to whether you describe it as a Cyclone, Hurricane or Typhoon.  However, Southern Hemisphere Cyclones rarely reach the devastating strength of an Asian Typhoon.

PS:  The name Hurricane is from the Mayan.

Answer 2

They are all tropical revolving storms and hence therr the same.Only thing they are called with different names in different places; hurricanes in the East Pacific and Atlantic oceans,typhoons in the west Pacific and cyclones in the Indian ocean.

Apart from this, the criterio of the minimum wind speed associated with each differs.

Answer 3

Hurricane is a typhoon but it is called a hurricane in the Atlantic and Caribbean.  

It is called a typhoon in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

A cyclone is a tornado.  It is also the name of the famous roller coaster in Coney Island.  Midwesterners refer to tornadoes as cyclones.

Answer 4

There is no difference in formation or effect.

Tradition has it that Hurricanes are foudn in the Atlantic, Typhoons in the Pacific and Cyclone's in the Indian Ocean.

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