Tropical storms: Hurricanes: Are generally divided into typhoons, cyclones, and hurricanes: Is one type of tropical storm: Occur anywhere on the planet, except its northern parts: Occur in the Caribbean and parts of the South-Eastern USA The technical difference is just 1 mph between maximum sustained winds of 73 mph for a tropical storm and 74 mph for a hurricane. As a hurricane grows and intensifies, it develops the distinctive structure that looks like a hole (known in meteorology as “the eye”) in the middle of swirling massive clouds (known as “eyewall”, an area about 16 to 80 kilometers). A tropical storm is one of the most destructive weather systems on the planet Earth. Tropical Cyclones can go from tropical depressions to hurricanes and … The areas along the coastline that are affected by frequent storms and weather disturbances know the kind of destruction of property and loss of lives that these natural calamities bring in their wake. People in U.S. have still not forgotten the devastation that was caused by Katrina in 2005. Tropical depressions start as a low pressure area over the ocean which has the potential to get larger and stronger. Charles Darwin Notebooks Worth Millions Stolen from Library? The first option will be automatically selected. In a cooling air pattern, water vapor condenses into droplets, and there is a change of vapor into liquid, which releases latent heat, which, in its turn, warms the atmosphere, thus making it gradually more buoyant. Use escape to clear. Type at least three characters to start auto complete. Hurricanes happen in the Caribbean and parts of the South-Eastern USA, while cyclones and typhoons – the other two types, hit other areas of the planet. An example of named storm that is NOT a hurricane is Tropical Storm Sandy. That is the reason why they never occur in northern parts of the globe. The current scale, the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS), is an extension of an old British Navy scale called the Beaufort Wind Scale. This makes the perfect conditions for developing thunderstorms and makes it a place where most hurricanes originate. Difference between a Twister and a Tornado, Difference between Air Cooler and Air Conditioner, Difference between Waterproof and Water-Resistant, Are generally divided into typhoons, cyclones, and hurricanes, Occur anywhere on the planet, except its northern parts, Occur in the Caribbean and parts of the South-Eastern USA, Difference between Tropical Storm and Hurricane, Category 1: 74- 95 mph. In the following article, we will see what the differences are between a hurricane and the other tropical storms. © Copyright TWC Product and Technology LLC 2014, 2020. In fact, this tropical storm could do as much or more damage as the hurricane did at landfall. (MORE: Three Reasons Slow-Moving Tropical Storms and Hurricanes Are the Worst). The real story for Harvey is going to be the extraordinary flooding threat that is unfolding across southeastern Texas. When trade winds meet, the warm air heavily laden with water vapor is forced to rise. As the wind grows larger, more moist air is thrown onto the surface, more water vapor condenses into cloud droplets, and more latent heat is released. The physical process of a hurricane developing: Hurricanes require one of two elements to form: either wave patterns or thunderstorms. Damage potential: minimal, Category 2: 96-110 mph. It blew a wall of sea water (8 meters high), known as a storm surge, ahead of it, and as a result it engulfed most of the city of New Orleans. The most common way to do that is to divide them according to the region where they occur. Rainfall totals are a function of forward speed rather than tropical storm or hurricane intensity. The SSHWS breaks up that hurricane grade into five categories. Most hurricanes emerge thousands of miles away from these areas – in the Atlantic ocean, close to North-West Africa. The 12th grade on the Beaufort scale is "hurricane," a grade defined by winds of 64 knots or 74 mph at its minimum bound and no maximum bound. Copying is allowed with active link to TheyDiffer.com. Rainfall potential increases with a slower moving storm. Neither of these is found in the areas of high pressure, where the atmosphere is stable. It was the deadliest … Hurricanes are measured on a scale from 1 to 5, depending on the winds’ strength and damage potential. This is what contributes to the appearance of a hurricane as a spiral, a familiar image which is seen in satellite images of hurricanes taken from above. Use up and down arrows to change selection. Damage potential: catastrophic. Cyclones tend to appear in countries like Madagascar, India, and parts of Australia.