Tropical Cyclones

Tropical cyclones are rapidly rotating storm systems originating over the world’s warm oceans that have an area of thunderstorms and strong winds located around a low pressure center (referred to as the eye).

Depending on the location of their formation tropical cyclones can be called different names, although they are the same type of storm:

• Atlantic Ocean: Hurricane
• West Pacific Ocean: Typhoon
• East and Central Pacific Ocean: Hurricane
• Indian Ocean: Cyclone

Source: Global Tropical Cyclone Tracks | Wikimedia

*The remainder of this lesson will address the Atlantic Ocean and use its naming convention.