What is the difference between a hurricane and a cyclone?

Answer 1

Tropical revolving storms are called hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific; typhoons in the South China Sea (northwest Pacific); and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean and the south Pacific. Those countries that use the term "tropical cyclone" often abbreviate it to "cyclone" so in the south Pacific and Indian oceans, "cyclone" always means "tropical cyclone". Tropical cyclones occur in both the northern and southern hemispheres so they rotate in both directions. Hurricanes do the same. Typhoons are only found in the northern hemisphere.

I am an operational meteorologist working in an Australian Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre. We could get the first for the season in our area within a week.

Answer 2

According to Merriam-Webster, cyclone and tornado are interchangeable. I, personally, recall instances in the news where hurricane and cyclone are interchangeable, which suggests when you use 'cyclone', it requires further definition. I am from the midwest and would not use cyclone to describe other than a tornado. M-W also uses the word 'cyclone' in the definition of a hurricane. "A system of rain and wind that circulates about a low pressure system ...... " so evidently hurricane and cyclone are likewise synonymous.

Answer 3

The only difference is who is using the term Layman use the term indiscriminately. Scientists add qualifying words to mean something precise!

If you go to wikipedia.com they'll give you this info: in meteorology, a cyclone is an area of low atmospheric pressure characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere of the Earth. The generic term covers a wide variety of meteorological phenomena. These include tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones, and tornadoes, so meteorologists rarely use "cyclone" without additional qualification.

Tropical cyclones are called "warm core" storms because heat from the ocean fuels a low pressure system. In the temperate zones we tend to think of cold core chill from the polar land areas fueling storms but in the tropics ocean heat causes some of the most fierce storms on earth.

The term "cyclone" refers to such storms' cyclonic (violent spinning) nature, with counterclockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere. Depending on their location and strength, tropical cyclones are referred to by various other names, such as hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, and tropical depression.

Fierce cyclonic storms formed during thunderstorms over land, rather than the oceans, are of course tornadoes. Quite often in the U.S.A. hurricanes when they are petering out after hitting land will spawn multiple devastating tornadoes.

While tropical cyclones can produce extremely powerful winds and torrential rain, they are also able to produce high waves and damaging storm surge. They develop over large bodies of warm water, and lose their strength if they move over land. This is the reason coastal regions can receive significant damage from a tropical cyclone, while inland regions are relatively safe from receiving strong winds. Heavy rains, however, can produce significant flooding inland, and storm surges can produce extensive coastal flooding up to 25 mi (40 km) from the coastline. Although their effects on human populations can be devastating, tropical cyclones can also relieve drought conditions. They also carry heat and energy away from the tropics and transport it towards temperate latitudes, which makes them an important part of the global atmospheric circulation mechanism. As a result, tropical cyclones help to maintain equilibrium in the Earth's troposphere, and to maintain a relatively stable and warm temperature worldwide.

Many tropical cyclones develop when the atmospheric conditions around a weak disturbance in the atmosphere are favorable. Others form when other types of cyclones acquire tropical characteristics. Tropical systems are then moved by steering winds in the troposphere; if the conditions remain favorable, the tropical disturbance intensifies, and can even develop an eye. On the other end of the spectrum, if the conditions around the system deteriorate or the tropical cyclone makes landfall, the system weakens and eventually dissipates.

Answer 4

Lots of smoke bware but not much light. Here is the scientific answer to your question. No difference except basin of origin. Hurricanes in Atlantic and Pacific east of the international dateline. Cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.

Answer 5

a hurricane has to be strong.

a cyclone is one of those weather systems that pass over the UK during most weeks (except when there is a blocking high like his week)

cyclonic is the direction of motion, not the violence.

(anti-clockwise in N hemisphere)

Answer 6

Hurricanes are north of the equator and cyclones are south of the equator. Hurricanes are clockwise turning and cyclones counter clockwise.

Answer 7

if a storm was to form in the atlantic or eastern pacific ocean, we would call it a hurricane. so basically every storm that endangers the unite states is a hurricane.

Cyclones are storms that begin in the southern paficic. They only are generated west of 160 east longitude.they are not as pervalent as hurricanes because of the cold water temperatures. Generally, water temperetures must be over 80 degrees in order to be conductive to any storm.