Hurricanes, Typhoons, etc

[Jooster]

What's the difference between a hurricane, typhoon, cyclone, whirlwind, tornado etc, etc? Why have they got different names when they all seem to do the same thing?

Is it something to do with where they start (land or sea)? The continent or ocean they begin?

I've looked at previous discussion points but nothing gives a diffinitive answer.

MattP

aka Josster

[teag1rl]

They're all tropical storms, just called different things depending on part of the world they occur. In Australia they're willy-willys. Think whirlwind and tornadoes are different tho-they're not tropical storms. I'm sure wikipedia or something could help. My memory is rubbish!

[qapmoc]

Hurricane, Typhoon and Cyclone are all the same thing, called different names in different oceans, these are enormous tropical storm systems which last for up to a week, formed over water which move in the direction related to the coriolis force of earths rotation, its different in the North and South hemisphere. These can range in strength from pretty windy to the category 5 with 300km/ph wind which has just wacked north east Australia.

Whirlwind and Tornado are the same thing, these are the small tightly formed spiral winds which can form on land or sea, which form and die very quickly and have extremely high wind speeds in the centre, these can form anywhere in theory but tend to occur mostly in particular parts of the world.

[nickmo]

http://www.geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk/topics/tropstorm.html has info on names and types and see: http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/?from=schofl for other details

[Jooster]

Thanks for the answers evryone. But maybe I didn't explain myself correctly.

My question is, why is a hurricane called a "hurricane" & a typhoon called a "typhoon". They are both tropical storms but why do they have different names?

MattP

aka Jooster

[nickmo]

If you mean, 'what does the word come from.....':

Etymology of typhoon: 16c: from Chinese 'da feng' meaning 'great wind', altered under the influence of Greek typhon whirlwind, from the name in Greek mythology of the fire-breathing giant Typhon, believed to be buried under Mount Etna.

And hurricane - from a Carib word for a great storm: storm - 16c: from West Indian hurac�n.

[Jooster]

Thanks again eveyone but it still doesn't completely answer my question.

If a typhoon and hurricane are the same thing, why have they got different names?

Nickmo's answer seems to give some indication - hurricane in carribean; typhoon in the far-east. But where's the cut-off point? When do they change names? Why do they have different names?

MattP

aka Jooster

[teag1rl]

still not sure I can answer your question Jooster, but:

In the Atlantic basin, large storms of this type are called "hurricanes," a term that echoes Spanish and Caribbean Indian words for evil spirits and huge winds. In the eastern Pacific off Central and South America the storms are often referred to as "cordonazos"--meaning to strike with a cord or rope. In Hawaii, they are called "tainos," in the Philippines they are "baguios," the Australians call them "willy-willy's," and in the Indian Ocean they are referred to as "cyclones." Their most famous name is found across the western Pacific, where these awesome storms are called "typhoons."
from:http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq102-1.htm

[teag1rl]

I meant to add, it's not like bread is called bread in france and germany is it? it's the same thing, but got different names due to the language!

[Jooster]

Thanks Teag1rl...

"I meant to add, it's not like bread is called bread in france and germany is it? it's the same thing, but got different names due to the language!"

Ah, but that's my point. We're using the same language. So why call them different things? What differentiates (sp?) a hurricane from a whirlwind?

MattP

aka Jooster

[teag1rl]

hurricane and whirlwind are not the same thing (as qapmoc says above) whirlwind is the same as a tornado, tho and as for why we call them by two different names? I've no idea, we just do. Will that do for an answer? lol Good luck in your quest for knowledge, you're definitely persistent :o)

[Jooster]

Thanks again Teag1rl,

I'll stop pestering now :-)

But your answer is the source of my frustration. "We just do". My question continues to be "why?".

If I find out, I'll post an answer.

Take care,

MattP

aka Jooster.

[qapmoc]

Well Jooster it looks like you want the type of an answer which explains why blue is called blue and yellow is called yellow, There is no real answer as it is just based upon common words used to describe things in different languages and areas that have come into normal use over hundreds of years.

[Jooster]

qapmoc - No, that's not correct. Let me give an anology...

A mound of earth might be called a hill. At some stage (its height?) it's then called a mountain. There's a reason why one is called a hill & the other is called a mountain.

MattP

aka Jooster

[nickmo]

Jooster - not following your reasoning here - your asking why is the same effect called one thing in the 'west' and one in the 'east', in the same languauge.

They are not in the same language - we speak in English a use a corruption of hurrican - a Carib word describing the violent storm in the western Atlantic. We call it hurricane 'cos we don't speak Carib.

In the far east, typhoon is used 'cos the Chinese whose language is not English - we speak English language in Britain - which is the closest we can come to pronouncing tai phun which just happened to approximate the Greek word Typhon as the name of a Greek mythylogical character and fitted for the same storm effect when this was needed to be called something once it was 'discovered'

By the same reasoning, why is it 'dreich' in Edinburgh but 'drizzly' in Salford, or we 'bring tae the bile' in Angus but 'cook at the boil' in Kent? Scots English and standard English use different words for the same actions - as you also get in Newcastle, with Scouse, Welsh, Cornish or anywhere in the UK that cherished its original way of speaking.

That there are different words originating in different places for the same effect - ie a storm or whatever - is not surprising and you just have to accept it.