Here are 3 images of hurricanes. Or maybe cyclones. No, wait, there are 2 cyclones and 1 typhoon, I think… Or the reverse.

Anyway, by the end of this article, I promise I’ll figure out who’s who. Actually, you’ll know how to do it yourself, so you won’t even need me.

You’ll even be able to tell the year these photos were taken and the wind speed inside the eye.

No, that’s not true — I admit it, it’s just to check if your attention has already been drawn.

So let’s get straight to the point!

What’s The Difference?

None

Let’s not drag out the suspense any longer — there is intrinsically no difference between a hurricane, a typhoon, and a cyclone.

So why 3 names? Simply because they occur in 3 different regions of the globe.

• Hurricane: This term is used for a tropical storm that forms in the North Atlantic and the Northeast Pacific.

• Typhoon: This term is applied to tropical storms that develop in the northwest Pacific, west of the International Date Line (roughly between East Asia and the Pacific Ocean).

• Cyclone: The last one is used in the Indian Ocean and the Southwest Pacific (particularly near Australia).

And they’re given these names once their winds exceed 119 km/h (74 mph).

But why 119 km/h?