100-word explainer: How are cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons different?

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones devastate millions around the world, but what’s the difference between them? Answer: nothing.

Cyclones are “spinning storms” rotating around a low-pressure centre or the “eye”. They contain torrential rain and sustained wind at 74 miles per hour (119 km/hour) or above.

Cyclones that form over warm ocean waters are called “tropical cyclones”. Hurricanes and typhoons are types of tropical cyclones; their names indicate where the storm is occurring. See below:

• Hurricane: Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and central and northeast Pacific
• Typhoon: Northwest Pacific
• Severe tropical cyclone: Southeast Indian Ocean and southwest Pacific
• Tropical cyclone: Southwest Indian Ocean.

Originally published at https://www.talkplant.com on April 6, 2020.