By Navin Singh Khadka Published 14 September 2018 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Hurricane Florence has arrived on the eastern seaboard of the United States. At the same time, Super Typhoon Mangkhut is approaching the Philippines. There are spectacular images of both shot from space, and the two weather systems look almost the same. So why do we call one a hurricane and the other a typhoon? And while we’re at it – what exactly is a cyclone? All tropical storms They are all the same thing: tropical storms. But they are known by different names in different locations. In the North Atlantic Ocean and Northeast Pacific, they are called hurricanes. But if the same type of disturbance takes place in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, it is known as a typhoon. And in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, cyclone is the correct term. A tropical cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists. It means a rotating, organised system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US. “Once a tropical cyclone reaches maximum sustained winds of 74mph (119km/h) or higher, it is… Read full this story
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