Dear Tom,
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
— Niles Griffon
Dear Niles,
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon? The storms are the same. It’s their location that determines what they are called. Tropical cyclones (the generic name for tropical storms) that form in the Atlantic Basin and the northeastern Pacific are called hurricanes (when their sustained winds reach at least 74 mph), while those in the northwestern Pacific (west of the International Date Line) are referred to as typhoons. “Tropical” refers to the geographical origin of these systems, which form almost completely over tropical oceans. “Cyclone” refers to their cyclonic nature, with winds circulating around the storm center in counterclockwise fashion in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. High winds, damaging storm surge and heavy rain are typical features of hurricanes and typhoons.
