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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 Hurricane and a Typhoon. They are very similar; but where they are located determines what they shall be called. And as this paper has explained, they are both basically "tropical cyclones."
What does a tropical cyclone look like? According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the tropical cyclone looks like "a huge whirlpool -- a gigantic mass of revolving moist air." The tropical cyclone has "a disc-like shape," and when looking at it from space, a person develops "a fuller appreciation of the majestic nature of tropical cyclones."
A tropical cyclone is actually like a huge, moving "heat engine," the Hong Kong Web site explains. "It feeds on an incessant supply of latent heat released from condensation in ascending moist air." And as to the power generated -- close to 20 million megawatts -- it could produce enough energy in one day at full speed to provide about 20 years supply of electricity for the people and businesses of Hong Kong.
References
Hong Kong Observatory. "Nature and Structure of Tropical Cyclones." Available:
http://www.hko.gov.hk/informtc/nature.htm.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Hurricane Research Division:
Frequently Asked Questions, What is a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone?"
Available: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html.
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