What Causes a Typhoon?

A typhoon is also called a hurricane or cyclone, depending where on the globe they form. The balmy
tropical oceans propagates increased evaporation, and the condensation of that water vapor into
clouds releases a lot of heat. The heat creates a large area of low pressure, typically transforming it
into a tropical storm. This storm sucks in surrounding winds which begin spinning about themselves
due to the Coriolis effect. The storm grows over days and weeks as more moisture and winds are
propagated by the warm ocean waters.

Typhoons are essentially gigantic heat engines. The warm water feeds heat into the air above it, and
that in turn imparts more energy to the winds rotating in the storm. The warmer the water and the
larger the area the warm water occupies, the more energy the storm picks up and the faster the
winds become. Hurricane season occurs when large swaths of the ocean thousands of miles across
possess waters warm enough to trigger and sustain multiple typhoons.

What Is the Relationship Between Hurricanes, Typhoons and Tropical Cyclones?

For a cyclone, there are further classifications based on location. A tropical cyclone is a storm of
sufficient magnitude in the Southwest Indian Ocean. As a cyclone becomes more severe, it moves
toward the Southeast Indian Ocean and is called a severe tropical cyclone, states National
Geographic.

These storms all are caused by pressure differentials in the boundary between the atmosphere and
ocean. Water is always evaporating from the ocean's surface because of sunlight. Once the water
vapor rises and condenses into clouds and rainfall, it releases the energy that has the potential to
power a storm. If there is low pressure over the ocean as the heat of the condensation is released,
the conditions are ripe for a hurricane, and the heat powers the movement of the surrounding
winds. The speed of these winds determines the strength of the tropical storm.

What Is the Difference Between Hurricanes, Typhoons and Monsoons?

Monsoons develop as winds are created from seasonal temperature differences between the land
and ocean. Warmer air on land rises allowing the cooler, moisture laden ocean air to come in. This
drops sometimes torrential rains on an area for long periods of time.

Created by low pressure systems that develop over the ocean, typhoons and hurricanes occur with
strong winds and rain. The upward motion of hot air over the sea creates a circulation pattern. This
column of air becomes lighter and lower in density. When it combines with a trade wind flowing in
the opposite direction, the circulation pattern will increase and create a vortex. The speed of air flow
in the low pressure vortex is accelerated and a typhoon or hurricane is formed.

Typhoon season occurs from May to November while hurricane season occurs from June to
November. The radius of a typhoon or hurricane can reach up to 300 kilometers. Depending upon
the wind speed, both can cause severe damage when they strike land.
Peduncle: The stalk of a flower.
Receptacle: The part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are attached.
Sepal: The outer parts of the flower (often green and leaf-like) that enclose a developing bud.
Petal: The parts of a flower that are often conspicuously colored.
Stamen: The pollen producing part of a flower, usually with a slender filament supporting the
anther.
Anther: The part of the stamen where pollen is produced.
Pistil: The ovule producing part of a flower. The ovary often supports a long style, topped by a
stigma. The mature ovary is a fruit, and the mature ovule is a seed.
Stigma: The part of the pistil where pollen germinates.
Ovary: The enlarged basal portion of the pistil where ovules are produced.