Why do we call them hurricanes in the United States and cyclones in Australia?
437233
I thought cyclones were tornadoes and typhoons where the Pacific version of hurricanes.\n\nI may be all wet though!
425775
Hurricane Names: from the FEMA kids website\n\nAll hurricanes are given names. Why is that? To help us identify storms and track them as they move across the ocean. Remember, there can be more than one hurricane at a time and without naming them, we could get confused and which storm we're talking about.\n\nFor hundreds of years, hurricanes in the West Indies were named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. An Australian meteorologist began giving women's names to tropical storms before the end of the 19th century. In 1953, the U.S. National Weather Service, which is the federal agency that tracks hurricanes and issues warnings and watches, began using female names for storms. \n\nIn 1979, both women and men's names were used. One name for each letter of the alphabet is selected, except for Q, U and Z. For Atlantic Ocean hurricanes, the names may be French, Spanish or English, since these are the major languages bordering the Atlantic Ocean where the storm occur. \n\nSo who decides what names are used each year? The World Meteorological Organization uses six lists in rotation. The same lists are reused every six years. The only time a new name is added is if a hurricane is very deadly or costly. Then the name is retired and a new name is chosen.
1130792
tornados have a much higher wind scale than hurricanes do.  an F5 tornado has winds up to 318mph.  hurricanes go up to category 5.  a category 5 has winds higher than 155mph, but I've never heard of one that's had winds higher than 200mph.  it's a misconception that hurricanes cause more damage b/c of their sheer size, but the most damaging part of a hurricane is the Northeast side of the storm.  whereas a tornado is damaging no matter where it hits you b/c it just sucks everything right on up and can go on for miles and miles.  hurricanes almost always weaken when they completely come ashore.
148092
Wikipedia has a good answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone\n\nin addition:\n\nhttp://www.britannica.com/eb/article-67118\n\nFormation of tropical cyclones\n\nTropical cyclones represent still another example of sea-air interactions. These storm systems are known as hurricanes in the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific and as typhoons in the western North Pacific. The winds of such systems revolve around a centre of low pressure in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The winds attain velocities in excess of 115 kilometres per hour, or 65 knots, in most cases. Tropical cyclones may last from a few hours to as long as two weeks, the average lifetime being six days.\n\nThe oceans provide the source of energy for tropical cyclones both by direct heat transfer from their surface (known as sensible heat) and by the evaporation of water. This water is subsequently condensed within a storm system, thereby releasing latent heat energy. When a tropical cyclone moves over land, this energy is severely depleted and the circulation of the winds is consequently weakened.\n\nSuch storms are truly phenomena of the tropical oceans. They originate in two distinct latitude zones, between 4° and 22° S and between 4° and 35° N. They are absent in the equatorial zone between 4° S and 4° N. Most tropical cyclones are spawned on the poleward side of the region known as the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).\n\nMore than two-thirds of observed tropical cyclones originate in the Northern Hemisphere, and roughly the same proportion occur in the Eastern Hemisphere. The North Pacific has more than one-third of all such storms, while the southeast Pacific and South Atlantic are normally devoid of them. Most northern hemispheric tropical cyclones occur between May and November, with peak periods in August and September. The majority of southern hemispheric cyclones occur between December and April, with peaks in January and February.\n\n\n---------------------------------------------\n\nTyphoon is a tropical cyclone located in the western north Pacific basin (between 100E and 180E in the northern hemisphere). The category of a typhoon is decided by the maximum sustained winds, but please note that the typhoon in Japanese standard and the typhoon in international standard is not the same. Finally, among tropical cyclones in the world, the typhoon is the most frequent and the strongest tropical cyclone (http://agora.ex.nii.ac.jp/digital-typhoon/help/world.html.en)\n------------------------------------------------------\n\nhttp://www.taiwanho.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=205\n\nTyphoons (called hurricanes in the Atlantic and East Pacific, and cyclones in the Indian Ocean and around Australia) are the worlds most violent and destructive storm systems. Around 17 typhoons form annually in the West Pacific, of which around one third make landfall. They are giant whirlwinds, with air circulating around an area of low pressure, and high winds extending about 100km from the centre.\n\nMost typhoons form between 5-30 degrees latitude, and 110-180 degrees longitude. Typhoons that form in the east of this region can travel for long distances without being affected by landmasses. This gives them plenty of time to build up their strength. Hence, the very strong and long lasting supertyphoons tend to form closer to the date line. Sea surface temperatures in the Nino 4 region (5S-5N, 160E-150W) affect the longitude at which typhoons tend to form. Warm sea surface temperatures in this region result in more typhoons forming closer to the date line.\n\nSome prerequisites for typhoon formation are listed below:\n\n1. Sea surface temperatures greater than 26C to a depth of 60m. This provides the moisture for the thunderstorm activity in the storm.\n\n2. A large enough drop in temperature with height so that the atmosphere is conditionally unstable to
872937
Erm...well, Instead of saying immediate effects, you could say Primary effects. Sounds more professional :P\nHurricanes tear buildings apart blah blah.\n\nThey can be predicted with signs of violent winds, killer waves, torrential rains and flash flooding.\nIt's usually predicted for a hurricane 'season'\nThe specialists could look at the weather from the satelites in space with the amount of movement in the wind, and the weather. [I think]\n\nI know the hurricanes are born over water and when it reaches land, it starts to loose power.
642334
Hurricanes are considered an act of God(or nature).The way our government is heading they could be the act of Satan!
1102059
There are a lot of people on here who answer just so they can belittle people. I have lived on or along the Gulf coast all my life and hurricane's are a fact of life, if we asked why people built there every time a tornado hit the Midwest people wouldn't like that either. These are our homes and this was where we were raised and just like good Americans everywhere we will fight to keep and protect what's ours. Good luck girl and keep your chin up not everyone on here is a dipstick!
673302
The stroms are named in alphabetical order in the sense that the first named system will have an "A" name, the second "B", etc.  As far as the names used they are picked pretty much arbitrarily by the people at NOAA.  In certain instances, names of storms that were very severe or catastrophic will be taken out of the pool.  So, there will never be another Cecil or Donna or Hugo or Katrina or Andrew.
833195
the reason for cyclone is low pressure region.as we know that wind flows from low to high pressure region and due to the coriolis forces which is the main cause of shifting the air to left or right in northern & southern hemisphere resply.\nwhen low pressure region is created, then normally wind flows to that area.
556432
Hurricanes are what scientists call "strong Tropical Cyclones". They are formed when large areas of the ocean become heated, and the air pressure over that area drops. This causes thunderstorms and strong surface winds. Cyclones develop over tropical or sub-tropical waters (for example, in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa, or in the Pacific). As they travel long distances gathering energy from the ocean, they are likely to be classified as strong Tropical Cyclones. When the winds of a tropical storm reach 74 mph, then the storm is classified as a hurricane.\n\nMore information on how hurricanes happen can be found on this good site : http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/hurricane/creation.html
489549
Because the US doesn't have monsoons.  Apparently various severe tropical storms get special names depending on the ocean of origin.  Hurricanes originate from the Atlantic.  America (US, Carribean, and Mexico especially) get hurricanes in particular because God is angry with them... Just kidding!  Particular areas get hit because of the flow of the Gulf Stream moving from Africa to the Carribean is apparently capable of building up a great deal of force!  Think warm, moist wind building up steam with no trees or other geographical feature getting in the way, all the while collecting moisture... Then slamming that into the islands and mainland...  Nasty stuff that...
258800
Aside from the name, not much. Both are severe tropical systems that have wind speeds greater than 74 mph. \n\nThey are called "hurricanes" in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean. But once your go west across the International Dateline and into the western Pacific Ocean, they're called typhoons. And of course, the Australians, who have colorful names for just about everything, have their own term for hurricanes: "willy-willys." \n\nTyphoons generally tend to be stronger than hurricanes, but only because there's warmer water in the western Pacific and are better conditions for storm development. And they've been known to affect Seattle: Some of our strongest windstorms ever recorded were remnants of a typhoon in the western Pacific.
570708
Tornado is the most violent of all storms. A tornado, sometimes called a twister, consists of a rapidly rotating column of air that forms under a thundercloud or a developing thundercloud. Tornado winds swirl at speeds that may exceed 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour. A powerful tornado can lift cattle, automobiles, and even mobile homes into the air and destroy almost everything in its path. Fortunately, most tornadoes are relatively weak, and only a few are devastating. \nScientists use the word cyclone to refer to all spiral-shaped windstorms that circulate in a counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere or in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The term cyclone comes from the Greek word for circle. Cyclones come in many sizes. Among the largest such storms are hurricanes and typhoons, which may reach 250 miles (400 kilometers) across. \nMost tornadoes are small, intense cyclones. On rare occasions, the winds whirl in the direction opposite that of a cyclone--for example, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. \nMost tornadoes have damage paths less than 1,600 feet (500 meters) wide, move at less than 35 miles (55 kilometers) per hour, and last only a few minutes. Extremely destructive twisters may reach 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in diameter, travel at 60 miles (100 kilometers) per hour, and blow for more than an hour. \nThe United States has the highest incidence of tornadoes in the world. Most of these storms occur in a belt known as Tornado Alley that stretches across the Midwestern and Southern states, especially Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. However, tornadoes also strike many other parts of the world. Australia ranks second to the United States in number of twisters, and many damaging tornadoes strike Bangladesh. Tornadoes occur most often during the spring and early summer in the late afternoon and early evening. \nA tornado over a body of water is called a waterspout. Waterspouts occur frequently in summer over the Florida Keys. Waterspouts also form elsewhere in the Gulf, along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, over the Great Lakes, and even over the Great Salt Lake in Utah. \nThe story of a tornado. The majority of tornadoes develop from severe thunderstorms. A hurricane, when it makes landfall, can also generate tornadoes. \nThe most damaging tornadoes form in large, powerful thunderstorms called supercells. For a supercell to form, and perhaps spawn a tornado, several conditions must exist. There must be an adequate supply of moisture to feed the storm. In Tornado Alley, air from the Gulf of Mexico provides the moisture. There must be a layer of warm, moist air near the ground and a layer of much cooler air above. Often, a front (the boundary between two air masses at different temperatures) powers an upward flow of warm air. As the warm air rises, it begins to cool, and the moisture it holds condenses into raindrops. The air stops rising at high levels and spreads sideways to form a characteristic anvil-shaped storm cloud. \nFor a supercell to develop, the winds at higher elevations must differ markedly from those at lower levels in speed, direction, or both. Such a large difference in wind speed or direction is called wind shear. Wind shear makes the column of rising air begin to rotate, forming a broad, horizontal tube of swirling air. As the storm continues, this tube turns on its end, producing a rotating column of air called a mesocyclone. Studies show that most supercells containing mesocyclones eventually produce tornadoes. \nA low, dark, heavy cloud called a wall cloud forms underneath the mesocyclone. Tornado funnels develop out of the wall cloud. \nThe first sign of an approaching tornado may be light rain, followed by heavier rain, then rain mixed with hail. The hailstones may grow to the size of golf balls or even baseballs. After the hail ends, a tornado may strike. In most tornadoes, a funnel-shaped cloud forms and descends from the wall cloud until it touche
21389
There is a universal list in place that contains 21 names that are reused every six to seven years. Hurricanes that cause a lot of devastation are usually retired and replaced with another name from the corresponding location in the alphabet.\n\nThe link below provides a complete list of hurricane names for the entire world, and you can read more about how the hurricanes got their names. It's a pretty interesting read.
397008
If you mean "the West Coast of the U.S.", then it's for two major reasons:\n\n1.)  Pacific hurricanes usually form at a low latitude, where they're separated from the latitudes of CA northward by a ridge of high pressure.  This prevents directs storm westward while preventing northward movement, especially during the height of the season.\n\n2.)  The waters off the West Coast all always far too cold to support hurricanes.
143148
The US gets something like 90+% of all the world's hurricanes because the warm air of the Gulf Coast can interact directly with the cold air coming down from the arctic, with no mountains in between. If you look at a map, that is the only place that is true on earth. This causes tornadoes. \n\nIt rains and snows near mountains and islands in the ocean. This is called an orographic effect. Areas behind the mountains are often very dry. This creates deserts in the rain shadows of these mountains. \n\nAntarctica is a high plateau and a large continent. The distance from the ocean and the altitude make it the coldest place on earth. \n\nOften cold air comes over the Great lakes, and creates fingers of snow as the air moves east. This is called Lake Effect snow. \n\nChinooks and Santa Anas are examples of foehn winds, caused by air travelling down the lee side of a mountain and being compressed under a temperature inversion and warming up. These warm dry winds are also called katabatic winds.\n\nThe warm Gulf stream and warm Kurishiro currents on the western side of the Atlantic and Pacific respectively keep the land nearby warmer than it would be otherwise. These currents are western boundary currents of ocean gyres produced by the coriolis force in the Atlantic and Pacific ocean basins. \n\nTropical cyclones are also produced by coriolis force, and pick up energy from warm ocean waters that result from the world ocean current system. Of course, the topography of the oceans produces this world ocean current system, so topography is responsible for the tropical cyclones, including the hurricanes we are confronted with in the US.
1098461
In 2005, after Katrina there were several named storms that did not impact the US but still developed.  Rita did hit the TX/LA border in September.  The storms did happen.  Because of mainstream media coverage you likely didn't hear about them.\n\nHurricane names are created by the World Meteorological Organization, and are rotated every 6 years.  For example, the list of storms for this season (Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, etc.) was last used in 2000, and will be used again in 2012.\n\nOnly 21 of the 26 available names are used in a typical season.  Because the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z have so few names that can be used, they are skipped in the list.\n\nOn occaision, a name can be retired if the hurricane was especially destructive or otherwise noteworthy.  For example, there will never be another Hurricane Andrew or Hurricane Katrina.  \n\n2005 was especially confusing because once the original 21 names were used (this had never happened before), they utilized the letters of the greek alphabet to name the other 6 storms that occured.  Alpha, Beta and Gamma were the first 3, Zeta was the last.  So the alphabet seemed to jump around, but this was an extreemly rare occurance.