On Earth, various weather phenomena occur, like cyclones, hurricanes, storms etc. Typhoons and Tornados are part of the weather phenomena.
Tornado vs Typhoon
Tornadoes forms on a land surface, whereas Typhoons form on water bodies. The duration of both typhoons and Tornados matters. For example, Typhoons can last from hours to months, whereas Tornados often last for minutes. Typhoons are very much destructive, killing almost 6000 people per year.
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A tornado forms violently when air spins violently and has contact between the land surface and cumulonimbus clouds. Commonly it is referred to by the name twister or whirlwind.
Typhoons are the more severe form of cyclones and usually occur in the northwest Pacific ocean in countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. It appears in every part of the world but is referred to by different names.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Tornado | Typhoon |
|---|---|---|
| Formation | Tornadoes occur on the land surface. | Typhoons occur in water bodies. |
| Category | Tornadoes can be classified into Multiple Vortex, Landspout, and Waterspout. | Typhoons are categorised based on their windspeed on the level of 1 to 5. |
| Size | Tornadoes can be 50 to 100 feet long. | Typhoons can be up to hundreds of miles. |
| Season | It occurs during the Spring and Summer seasons. | It occurs during mid-summer to early rainfall. |
| Area | Tornadoes are most common in North American and European countries. | Typhoons are most common in the North-west Pacific Ocean. |
What is Tornado?
A tornado is a form of a storm that occurs in hot and humid areas during the time of Spring and Summer seasons in the northern hemisphere. There should be a combination of both hot and cold air to form tornadoes.
Tornadoes form rotating and spinning columns with the help of powerful winds. Vortex can be both horizontal and vertical.
Tornadoes also occur on the water but cannot be considered tornadoes. It occurs in tropical countries closer to the equator or at low latitudes.
What is Typhoon?
A typhoon is a tropical cyclone developing in the North-West Pacific Region. It is said to be the most active region on earth where typhoons are likely to appear.
There is no fixed season when typhoons will occur. But the strongest and most destructive typhoons occur between June and November.
Typhoons range up to hundreds of miles wide and can have a wind speed of 157 miles per hour. The weakest typhoons are categorised into level 1, having a wind speed of 74 miles per hour.
Main Differences Between Tornado and Typhoon
- Tornadoes occur on land and water but cannot be said to be tornadoes. Typhoons only occur in water bodies.
- Tornadoes can be classified into Multiple Vortex, Landspout and Waterspout. Typhoons are categorised based on their windspeed from 1 to 5 ranging from 70 miles to 160 miles per hour.
- Tornadoes can be 50 to 100 feet long. Typhoons can be hundreds of miles and 155-170 feet deep.
- A tornado occurs during the Spring and Summer seasons. Typhoon usually occurs during mid-summer to early rainfall but can occur at any time of the year.
- Tornadoes are most common in North American and European countries. Typhoons are most common in the North-west Pacific Ocean.
- https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/128/6/1520-0493_2000_128_1868_tpmsaw_2.0.co_2.xml
- https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jmsj1965/50/5/50_5_431/_article/-char/ja/
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
