Thursday 22 March 2012

Typhoon Vs Hurricane Vs Tornado


Typhoon Vs Hurricane Vs Tornado

If you are confused about what typhoons, hurricanes and tornadoes are, you have landed on the right page. I will clarify all your doubts with a typhoon vs hurricane vs tornado comparison, which will highlight the essential distinction between them. All though these storm systems differ from each other, in one thing they are the same. They all wreck havoc in all the regions, that they pass through!

Before we go ahead and get into the typhoon vs hurricane vs tornado debate, let us define these terms.
Typhoon: Definition
Typhoons, hurricanes and tropical cyclones are three different region specific names for the same kind of storm system! In short, they are one and the same phenomenon, although varying in intensity according to the place of origin and conditions.

So, a tropical cyclone a.k.a. typhoon, a.k.a. Hurricane is a peculiar storm system, which has a warm low pressure center, with an army of
thunderstorms around it. They have their origin near the equator, around 10 degrees away from it, in the sea. Read more on 'Typhoon Vs Hurricanes'.Tornado: Definition
Tornadoes are storm systems that form on land due to pressure differences. They are characterized by large rotating air columns, which are like funnels, that are connected with clouds at the top and land below. They move with phenomenal speeds, touching 300 mph on land before dissipating.
Hurricane: Definition
As mentioned above, hurricane is the same as a typhoon, the only difference being the name. The same phenomenon is known as a typhoon and a hurricane in different regions, according to the local language.
Typhoon Vs Hurricane Vs Tornado
There are more points of distinction in the typhoon vs tornado comparison, as they are two entirely different phenomena. Whereas, the points of distinction between tornado and hurricane are very few. Now that we have a rough idea about what these three things are, let us see the points of distinction between them.
Typhoon Vs Hurricane Vs Tornado: Etymology
Let us start our typhoon vs hurricane vs tornado comparison with the difference in the etymology of these words. The word typhoon may have come from Mandarin word, '
Tai Feng', the Hakka phrase 'Tai Foong', the Cantonese phrase 'Dai Fung', which all mean 'Big wind', literally. Other possible origins of the word 'Typhoon' may be the Greek name for 'God of Winds', which was 'Typhon' or the Arabic, Hindi and Persian name 'Tufan'. The abundance and similarity of words for a typhoon is testimony to the fact that they have been a rampant menace, since forever!

The word 'Hurricane' comes from the Spanish word '
Huracan', meaning storm, which in turn was probably picked up from the Taino word from the Arawak language, spoken in Caribbean.

The word tornado comes from the Spanish word for thunderstorm called 
tronada, which in turn has its origin in the Latin word tonare, which means, 'to thunder'. The 'Twister' and cyclone are also used for tornadoes. That is because, it has its origin in the tropics. If a tropical cyclone occurs in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the international dateline or in the South Pacific Ocean, east of 160 degree East latitude, it is called a 'Hurricane'. If the tropical cyclone occurs in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, on the west of the dateline, it is called a 'Typhoon'.Typhoon Vs Hurricane Vs Tornado: Origin and Occurrence
Let us discuss the origin mechanism and occurrence areas of typhoons, hurricanes and tornadoes. Let us briefly discuss each.

A hurricane and typhoon are the same thing. Just like the rose by any other name, would smell as sweet, a typhoon by any other name, would still be as deadly! In meteorological terminology, it is called a tropical cyclone. All storms like tropical cyclones are created due to severe differences in air pressure, caused due to temperature differences!

A tropical cyclone, like a hurricane or a tornado, is a type of storm system, which has closed wind circulation around a  central low pressure area, having their origin in the Ocean. The circulation is further fueled by heat released through moist air, which condenses as it rises. Warm air is lighter and therefore exerts low air pressure. Tropical cyclones are sustained by warm cores, which maintain the low pressure at center. They are created in the tropics every year and wreak havoc as they approach the inland coastal area. A recent example is
hurricane Katrina, which was one of the most destructive tropical cyclones to ravage the North American coast land.

A tornado is a type of violent storm which occurs on land, again created by wind, moving from surrounding high pressure areas into low pressure center. It is a fiercely rotating air column, simultaneously in contact with land at the bottom and a sometimes funnel like cumuliform cloud at the top. Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most destructive storm systems, particularly occurring all over the world, but more common in North America. So, the main difference in hurricane vs tornado comparison is, the fact that hurricanes originate in tropical seas, while tornadoes are created inland. Read more on, '
Differences Between Hurricane and Tornado'.Typhoon Vs Hurricane Vs Tornado: Facts
Here are some facts about hurricane and 
tornado facts which also illuminate the points of difference between the two phenomena.Hurricanes or Tornadoes are extremely powerful over the sea, causing tides and torrential rains around, but weaken and die out as they more over land, causing major damage in coastal areas. There is another point of similarity between hurricanes and typhoons, due to both being vortex based systems. Due to the 'Coriolis effect', hurricanes and typhoons in the northern hemisphere rotate counterclockwise and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. The central part or the eye of a typhoon could be as big as 370 kilometers! The hurricane season for the North Atlantic Ocean starts from 1st of June and continues up till November 30. Read more on,
The average wind speed of most tornadoes ranges from 40 - 110 miles per hour, but some of the most powerful ones attain wind speeds in excess of 300 miles per hour! There are three different types of tornadoes, which are landspout, multiple vortex tornado and waterspout. A tornado warning system is created with the use of weather radar and a chain of storm spotters. Tornado safety is in early warnings and announcement and in the construction of underground storm shelters. The most amount of tornadoes occur in a region in USA called 'Tornado Alley'. Tornado season begins in spring as it is a time of transition in temperatures. Read more on
Hope this typhoon vs hurricane vs tornado distinction has cleared your ideas about all the three terms. How much ever we develop our technology, we will never be able to tame nature completely. An early warning system is the only mechanism which can be our savior from nature's wrath!

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