Hurricane vs. Typhoon: What's the Difference?

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A hurricane and a typhoon are the same kind of storm, a strong tropical cyclone, and the only real difference is where it forms. It is called a hurricane in the North Atlantic and the eastern and central North Pacific, a typhoon in the northwest Pacific, and a cyclone over the Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

At a glance

	Hurricane	Typhoon
Ocean region	North Atlantic, eastern and central N Pacific	Northwest Pacific, west of 180°
Areas affected	USA, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America	Philippines, Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam
Wind threshold	Sustained winds of at least 119 km/h	Same 119 km/h threshold
Main forecaster	US National Hurricane Center	Japan Meteorological Agency
Main season	June to November in the Atlantic	Can form all year; peaks mid to late year

Which should you use?

Hurricane

Use hurricane for storms in the Atlantic or northeast Pacific, such as one striking the Caribbean islands or the US Gulf Coast between June and November.

Typhoon

Use typhoon for storms in the northwest Pacific, such as one hitting the Philippines; the same storm over the Bay of Bengal, threatening Odisha, is called a cyclone.

Frequently asked questions

What is a cyclone and how is it different?

Cyclone is the general name for these rotating storms and the specific name used in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. A storm hitting Odisha or Bangladesh is called a cyclone, but it has the same structure and power as a hurricane or typhoon.

Why do tropical cyclones form only over warm oceans?

They feed on heat and moisture from sea water around 26 °C or warmer. Warm, moist air rises, its water vapour condenses and releases heat, which drives stronger updrafts and draws in more air. Over land or cold water this fuel supply is cut off and the storm weakens.

Do hurricanes and typhoons spin the same way?

It depends on the hemisphere, not the name. Because of Earth's rotation, all tropical cyclones spin anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere, so Atlantic hurricanes and Pacific typhoons both turn anticlockwise.