Tropical cyclone intensity is defined by the maximum mean wind speed over open flat land or water.
A typhoon is defined as a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific.
What is a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone?
The terms "hurricane" and "typhoon" are regionally specific names for a strong "tropical cyclone".
While both tropical cyclones and tornadoes are atmospheric vortices, they have little in common.
Extra-tropical cyclone & Tropical cyclone
An extra-tropical cyclone is a storm system that primarily gets its energy from the horizontal temperature contrasts that exist in the atmosphere.
As tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes are essentially the same.
Most Intense
305 km/h
870 hpa
Category 5
October 4- 19, 1979 Typhoon Tip
In early October 1979, an active monsoon trough existed in the western Pacific Ocean extending from the Philippines to the Marshall Islands. From this, the largest and most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded, Typhoon Tip, emerged.
Fastest-intensified
295 km/h
882 hpa
Category 5
October 15-25, 2005 Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma in 2005 went from 954 mb to 901 mb in a 5 hour 23 minute period for a 9.8 mb/hr pressure drop.
Longest-lasting
280 km/h
929 hpa
Category 5
August 11,1994 Hurricane John
Hurricane/Typhoon John lasted 30 days as it traveled both the Northeast and Northwest Pacific basins during August and September 1994. (It formed in the Northeast Pacific, reached hurricane force there, moved across the dateline and was renamed Typhoon John, and then finally recurved back across the dateline and renamed Hurricane John again.)
Deadliest
240 km/h
966 hpa
Category 4
November 12, 1970 Bhola
Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) is a densely-populated delta country that sits on sediments eroded from the Himalayan Mountains.
Typhoons can cause millions or even billions of dollars in damage.
Storm Surge is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide.
Typhoon can bring chaos to road transport, although the degree of danger may be smaller than that of ships on the sea.
Why can winds blow down houses?
Wind is a current of air that is moving across the earth's surface.
Hot Weather Ahead of an Approaching Typhoon
Do you notice that sunny and very hot weather usually precedes the approach of typhoons?
