FACTS AND FIGURES

Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term “hurricane” is used.

The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a “typhoon” and “cyclones” occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
The ingredients for these storms include a pre-existing weather disturbance, warm tropical oceans, moisture, and relatively light winds. If the right conditions persist long enough, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods associate with this phenomenon.

It is characterized by a large scale closed circulation system in the atmosphere which combines low pressure and strong winds that rotate counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.