Dwg: Article written and Venn diagram created.

2026-01-11T15:24:21Z

Article written and Venn diagram created.

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== Cyclone vs. Hurricane ==
The terms cyclone and hurricane both refer to the same weather phenomenon: the tropical cyclone.<ref name="ref1" /> A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters.<ref name="ref1" /> The specific term used—hurricane or cyclone—depends on where the storm originates.

All<ref name="ref1" /> tropical cyclones form over large bodies of warm water and derive their energy from the evaporation of that water. For<ref name="ref2" /><ref name="ref3" /> a storm to be classified as a hurricane or a cyclone, its maximum sustained wind speeds must reach at least 74 miles per hour. Storms<ref name="ref4" /><ref name="ref1" /> with lower wind speeds are classified as tropical depressions or tropical storms.

==<ref name="ref1" /><ref name="ref5" />= Comparison Table ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Cyclone !! Hurricane
|-
| '''Location''' || South Pacific and Indian Ocean || North<ref name="ref4" /> Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific
|-
<ref name="ref4" />| '''Wind Rotation (Hemisphere)''' || Clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere || Counter<ref name="ref3" />-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere
|-
<ref name="ref3" />| '''Primary Season''' || Varies by basin: Nov-Apr in South Pacific, Apr-Dec in North Indian Ocean || June to November in the Atlantic
|-
<ref name="ref1" />| '''Intensity Scale''' || Primarily the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale || Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
|}

[[File:Venn_diagram_Differences_between_Cyclone_versus_Hurricane_comparison.png|thumb|center|800px|alt=Venn diagram for Differences between Cyclone and Hurricane|Venn diagram comparing Differences between Cyclone and Hurricane]]

=== Terminology and Regional Differences ===
The name given to a tropical cyclone is determined by the regional meteorological center responsible for that area.

'''Hurricanes''' are tropical cyclones that form in the North Atlantic Ocean, the northeastern Pacific Ocean, and the central North Pacific Ocean. The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30. The<ref name="ref1" /> Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to categorize hurricanes from Category 1 (74-95 mph winds) to Category 5 (winds greater than 156 mph).

'''<ref name="ref5" />Cyclones''' are tropical cyclones that form in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. In the Indian Ocean, these storms can also be referred to as "severe cyclonic storms". The<ref name="ref2" /> timing of the cyclone season varies between the basins within this region. For example, the North Indian Ocean has two peaks, from April to June and again from September to December. Different intensity scales are used in these regions, such as the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, which has categories from 1 to 5.

Another term for the same weather event is '''typhoon''', which is used for tropical cyclones that form in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

Regardless of the name, these storms can cause significant damage from high winds, heavy rain, and storm surges.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="ref1">[https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/cyclone.html "noaa.gov"]. Retrieved January 11, 2026.</ref>
<ref name="ref2">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone "wikipedia.org"]. Retrieved January 11, 2026.</ref>
<ref name="ref3">[https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/hurricanes/en/ "nasa.gov"]. Retrieved January 11, 2026.</ref>
<ref name="ref4">[https://www.zurich.com/knowledge/topics/windstorms/hurricanes-typhoons-and-tropical-cyclones-whats-the-difference "zurich.com"]. Retrieved January 11, 2026.</ref>
<ref name="ref5">[https://www.plaqueminesparish.gov/202/Hurricane-Intensity-Terminology "plaqueminesparish.gov"]. Retrieved January 11, 2026.</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Comparisons]]

Differences between Cyclone and Hurricane - Revision history

Dwg: Article written and Venn diagram created.