Cyclones and hurricanes explained
What is the difference between a tornado, a cyclone and a hurricane and how can you tell the damage it
will do?
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Gulf News staff report
Published: 23:38 May 3, 2009
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Cyclone Gonu is a tropical storm hurricane which has been measured at category five
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Image Credit: MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC
What is the difference between a tornado, a cyclone and a hurricane? Read below to find out
more:
Tornado: Tornados are the most violent type of storms.
A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground
with whirling winds that can reach 480 kilometres per hour.
Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 80 kilometres long. Occasionally, tornadoes
develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.
Tropical Cyclone: The terms "hurricane" and "typhoon" are regionally specific names for a strong
"tropical cyclone".
A hurricane is the generic term for a low pressure system that generally forms in the tropics. A typical
cyclone is accompanied by thunderstorms.
Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to coastlines and several hundred kilometres inland.
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They are classified into five categories based on their wind speed, central pressure, and damage
potential.
Category Three and higher hurricanes are considered major hurricanes.
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Storm
Scale
Number
Sustained Winds
(km/h)
1
120-150
Unanchored mobile homes,
vegetation and signs.
1.2-1.5m
2
150-170
All mobile homes, roofs,
small crafts, flooding.
1.8-2.4m
3
170-210
Small buildings, low-lying
roads cut off.
2.7-3.7m
4
210-250
Roofs destroyed, trees
down, roads cut off, mobile homes
destroyed. Beach homes flooded.
4-5.5m
5
More than 250
Damage
Surge
Most buildings
destroyed. Vegetation destroyed.
Major roads cut off. Homes
flooded.
5.5m+
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), USA
Reference
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/cyclones-and-hurricanes-explained1.119747