Typhoon or hurricane?
There are repeated reports about the various cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes cause great damage. But do you know the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon? A simple explanation of the difference can be found here.
Tropical cyclones always follow the same principle
- All tropical cyclones, regardless of whether they are hurricanes or typhoons, occur over the tropical sea when the sea water on the surface has a minimum temperature of 26 ° Celsius. From this temperature the sea water begins to evaporate, the hot air rising as a result carries a lot energy with himself. It leads to a low pressure on the water surface, which is why cool air flows in.
- This is also heated up again, causing it to rise. The speed of the rising air masses increases steadily. However, the cyclone only arises through the onset of the rotational movement of the rising air masses, which have their origin in the rotational movement of the earth itself. If the conditions remain the same, the rotational movements of the rising air masses intensify until they reach a wind speed of at least 118 km / h.
- This is the moment of the birth of the actual tropical cyclone, hurricane or typhoon, but the average speed of rotation of the air masses is 255 km / h. The air masses of tropical cyclones rotate cyclonally, counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
- However, the cyclone itself only moves slowly at a speed of 10-30 km / h. However, both a hurricane and a typhoon have gigantic proportions with a diameter of several 100 kilometers. In the center of both hurricanes is the eye, in which there is complete calm. This eye can be up to 25 km wide in diameter.
- The cyclone does not dissipate until conditions subside. This is usually only the case after hitting the land, as the air masses do not evaporate. Thus, hurricanes and typhoons lose their energy after they have already caused enough damage to the land.
Especially in America and Asia one hears again and again of cyclones that hit the country ...
The difference between typhoon and hurricane
In principle there is no difference between a typhoon and a hurricane, both are tropical cyclones. The difference in the name is only based on the connection to the region in which such a tropical cyclone occurs.
- A hurricane occurs in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific and mostly hits the coast in Mexico, where it causes great damage. Hurricanes always get feminine Names, every year starts with the letter A. From the first letter of a hurricane you can see how many hurricanes it was in the corresponding year.
- Most cyclones, however, arise in the regions west of the date line and north of the equator, in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. These cyclones are called typhoons and hit the coasts of China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Typhoons are usually much larger and faster than hurricanes, because the conditions in the areas where they arise are "more ideal".
There are other tropical cyclones whose names only refer to the region in which they arise. The cyclone forms in the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Southwest Pacific. Tropical cyclones off the Australian coast are called WillyWilly.
