what's the differences between tornados, typhoons and hurricanes?

Answer 1

Typhoons and hurricanes are the same thing. Although, typhoons form in the Pacific ocean and hurricanes form in the Atlantic ocean. Tornadoes and waterspouts are the same thing, except waterspouts form over water, Tornadoes are local storms that are much stronger and can do more localized damage. Tornadoes will suddenly appear while Typhoons and Hurricanes are known in advanced when they approach.

Answer 2

Typhoons and hurricanes are similar weather systems forming in different parts of the earth.They are large scale weather systems forming over sea surface and are having a revolving motion.They cover a large area and last for many days.They get weakened once they enter the land area as water(moisture) is the main source of their energy.They have a special feature, in the form of an eye, at the centre if they are very strong.
Tornados are comparatively smaller weather systems which usually form over land(those which form over sea are called waterspout).They last for few hours only and cover comparatively smaller area.They also have whirling motion and they have a special feature called a funnel cloud at the base which extend upto the ground.Sometimes they are more violent than the hurricanes .

Answer 3

good question. These two phenomena are vastly different. About the only commonality is their cyclonic flow and their destructive nature. The tornado forms in very unstable air with warm moist air flowing from the south near the surface and with dry and strong westerly flow at higher altitudes. They form out of existing cumulonimbus clouds without very much warning time and last only less than an hour.

Hurricanes (in the Atlantic) and Typhoons (in the West Pacific) form in the tropics generally between 10 and 15 degrees north latitude. They form when monsoonal winds (southwesterly winds) develop south of the trade winds (easterlies). This provides the trigger for cyclonic circulation. The surface temperature must be > or equal to 28C and there must be very little shear (large changes in wind direction or speed with altitude) which could remove any latent heat that has been generated by condensation of water vapor and which contributes to a developing low pressure center. The developing storm grows out of an area of disorganized cumulus clouds called a convective cloud cluster, grows into a tropical depression at which time it is given a number, tracked and monitored by both satellite and aircraft. From a depression it will deepen (Lower pressure) into a tropical storm (when it is given a name) and finally into a hurricane or typhoon.

I hope this helps somewhat. I've over 45 years as a meteorologist who specialized in both tropical meteorology (BS,MS, PhD in tropical cyclones in the western Pacific Ocean) and Satellite meteorology, both instrumentation and interpretation.

Answer 4

Tornadoes are land based, while tyhoons and hurricanes are water based(they form in the water). Tornadoes are atcually much stronger(higher wind speeds) than hurricanes.