Question about hurricanes and typhoons.

[Touchdown]

I always believed that hurricanes were exclusive to the Atlantic Ocean. That if the same storm was in the Pacific, it's called a typhoon. The difference being is the ocean and the direction the wind swirls. So now, I see there's Hurricane John in the Gulf of California. I guess I was wrong, so... What is the rules for what is a hurricane and what is a typhoon?

:shrug:

[seriousstan]

1. Here you go...

The terms "hurricane" and "typhoon" are regionally specific names for a strong "tropical cyclone". A tropical cyclone is the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and definite cyclonic surface wind circulation (Holland 1993).

Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) are called "tropical depressions" (This is not to be confused with the condition mid-latitude people get during a long, cold and grey winter wishing they could be closer to the equator ;-)). Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) they are typically called a "tropical storm" and assigned a name. If winds reach 33 m/s (64 kt, 74 mph)), then they are called:

"hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
"typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)
"severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)
"severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)
"tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

[CrispyQ]

3. Good question, great answer!

Thanks!


:thumbsup:

[Touchdown]

5. OK, that makes sense.

So John, being east of the dateline, but still in the north, makes it a hurricane, and the ocean it's in is irrelevant.

Thanks!:hi:

[El Fuego]

2. Typhoons occur on the other side of the International Date Line.

Otherwise, they're the same thing.

[dipsydoodle]

4. We're on the old fashioned Beaufort Scale

which obviously starts well done scale : http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Resources/Weather/Charts/beaufort.html

More common terminology is - it's wet, it's windy, it's wet and windy and WTF was that. There is a suspicion that as the climate changes we may become subject to more frequent strong wind conditions here in the UK.