Dear Tom,
What is the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone and a typhoon?
— Jessica Vega
Dear Jessica,
There is no difference. Unfortunately, meteorological jargon and popular usage variously apply different or overlapping meanings to those three words.
In meteorological parlance, a cyclone is a low-pressure system. Hurricanes and typhoons, too, are low-pressure systems, but they are a specific kind of cyclone — tropical cyclones (logically, cyclones that form in the world’s tropical and subtropical zones). Hurricanes (in the Atlantic Ocean), typhoons (western Pacific Ocean) and cyclones (Indian Ocean and Australia) are different names for the same type of storm.
In popular usage in the United States, “cyclone” is applied loosely to tornadoes, waterspouts, dust storms, hurricanes and even to any strong wind.
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