Whats the difference between a hurricane, typhoon and cyclone?

Question

Whats the difference between a hurricane, typhoon and cyclone?

Answer 1

They are all cyclones. Typhoons occur in the Pacific Ocean, Hurricanes in the Atlantic and regular typhoons that are not tropical occur generally between 30-60 North Latitude. The latter is essentially a broad area of low pressure and it large.

Sometimes tornadoes are referred to as cyclones, albeit much smaller than the others that I mentioned.

Answer 2

Depending on where you are in the world - no difference or a cyclone is tall and narrow and another name for a tornado.

Answer 3

Here we go again:  In the late 1980s, scientists from all over the world met to standardize the names of weather phenomena.  The main aim was to eliminate confusing, contrary, and localized words like cyclone and typhoon.  Now, we're back to confusion.

The cyclone that hit Myanmar (Burma) was in fact an Indian Ocean hurricane.  If it was in the Pacific, it would have been called a typhoon.  If it had been in the Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico, it would have called a hurricane.  

They're all the same thing: a large sea-born sytem of low pressure with high winds (sustained winds greater than 64kn) and large tidal events.  

What a shame that the names have all reverted back to localized, confusing, and contrary names.

Answer 4

hurricane is like with water and everything, typhoon is like basically the same thing as a hurricane, and a cyclone is the same thing as a tornado except a little bit worse

Answer 5

The terms "hurricane" and "typhoon" are regionally specific names for a strong "tropical cyclone". A tropical cyclone is the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and definite cyclonic surface wind circulation (Holland 1993).

Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) are called "tropical depressions" (This is not to be confused with the condition mid-latitude people get during a long, cold and grey winter wishing they could be closer to the equator ;-)). Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) they are typically called a "tropical storm" and assigned a name. If winds reach 33 m/s (64 kt, 74 mph)), then they are called:

* "hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)

* "typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)

* "severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)

* "severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)

* "tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

Answer 6

just a guess but location --

hurricanes --- atlantic ocean

typhoons--  pacific  ocean

cyclones -- indian ocean