Hurricanes & Typhoons

Hurricanes and Typhoons

Hurricanes and typhoons both fall under the classification "tropical cyclone," which is the generic term for what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calls "a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system." To a lay person, this definition could be difficult to understand.

But meanwhile, to simplify the definition, this "non-frontal synoptic low pressure system" must have wind speeds up to 74 MPH or higher, and be over water 81°F or warmer, to be classified as a "hurricane" (if the tropical cyclone is in the North Atlantic, the Northeast Pacific east of the dateline, or the South Pacific east of 160E); to be classified as a "typhoon," it must have wind speeds of 74 MPH or higher, be over water 81°F or warmer, and be located in the Northwest Pacific east of 160E).

It is easy to understand why people would be confused between a...
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