Understanding Hurricanes and Typhoons Nature’s Mighty Cyclones

Understanding Hurricanes and Typhoons: Nature’s Mighty Cyclones Hurricanes and typhoons are powerful tropical cyclones that cause significant damage and impact millions of lives each year. While they share many characteristics, their differences are primarily geographic. A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms producing heavy rain. These systems are called hurricanes, typhoons, or simply cyclones, depending on their location. Hurricanes form over the Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line, and the South Pacific Ocean east of 160°E. The term “hurricane“ originates from “Huracan,“ a word used by the indigenous Taíno people of the Caribbean to describe the god of evil spirits and weather. Hurricanes develop over warm ocean waters, typically between 5° and 30° latitude north and south of the equator, where sea surface tem