The main difference between a typhoon and a hurricane is purely geographical. Both typhoons and hurricanes are the same type of storm known as tropical cyclones—intense rotating storm systems that form over warm ocean waters with sustained winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) or higher. The term "hurricane" is used when these storms form in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Northeast Pacific Ocean, while "typhoon" is used when they form in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Essentially, the difference is in the region where the storm occurs, not in the storm's structure or behavior.
Geographic Naming Differences
- Hurricane : Forms in the Atlantic Ocean and Northeast Pacific Ocean.
- Typhoon : Forms in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.
- Cyclone : Refers to the same kind of storm in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
Similarities
- Both have similar structures with rotating strong winds around a low-pressure center.
- Both bring heavy rain, storm surges, and can cause significant damage.
- Both types of storms follow similar categories based on wind speed (e.g., Category 1 to Category 5 in the Saffir–Simpson scale).
- Both originate from tropical depressions and tropical storms when winds reach the threshold.
This naming convention helps in region-specific weather reporting and preparation, but scientifically, hurricanes and typhoons are tropical cyclones differing only by their location.
