What's the difference?

Question

What is the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane?

Answer 1

We call them hurricanes in America, but they call them typhoons in Asia.

Answer 2

Aside from the name, not much. Both are severe tropical systems that have wind speeds greater than 74 mph.

They are called "hurricanes" in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. But once your go west across the International Dateline and into the western Pacific Ocean, they're called typhoons. And of course, the Australians, who have colorful names for just about everything, have their own term for hurricanes: "willy-willys."

Typhoons generally tend to be stronger than hurricanes, but only because there's warmer water in the western Pacific and are better conditions for storm development. And they've been known to affect Seattle: Some of our strongest windstorms ever recorded were remnants of a typhoon in the western Pacific.

Answer 3

Strictly speaking, there is no difference -- it's a matter of geography. Typhoons are simply what hurricanes are called in the western Pacific ocean. Similarly, a hurricane that forms in the N Indian Ocean, SW Indian Ocean, Australia, or the SW Pacific is called a tropical cyclone.

Answer 4

Usually Typhoon is the word used for a high wind over sea areas, and Hurricane for over land areas. The word Typhoon is used more in S.E Asia.

Answer 5

There is no difference except where they occur. Typhoons happen in the Western Pacific Ocean around Japan, China, etc., while hurricanes happen in the Atlantic Ocean/ Gulf of Mexico/Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Answer 6

There is no difference.Both are tropical revolving storms which are called typhoons in China,Japan and Philippines and hurricanes in America.