Dear Tom,
What exactly is the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone and a typhoon ? Tim Doyle, Tinley Park, IL
Dear Tim,
Each term is used to describe the same type of stormtropical systems that possess winds of 74 mph or higher, have eyes (calm centers), boast warm cores (i.e. warm air aloft), produce storm surges (the devastating sea level rise near their centers), generate driving rainfalls (at times 20-30) and are free of any substantial temperature change across their breadth.
What varies and leads to the differing storm designations are location. The term “hurricane” applies to tropical storms with winds at or above 74 mph in the south Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and eastern North Pacific (east of the Dateline) while typhoon describes the same storm over the western North Pacific (west of the Dateline) and “cyclone” refers to such a storm over the western South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His weather forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN News at noon and 9 p.m.
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