What is tropical storm, how is it different from hurricane?

A tropical cyclone with a sustained wind speed of 39 mph or more is called a tropical storm. A tropical storm is a system of rotating low-pressure system that gets organized into thunderstorms. But it has no boundary separating two air masses with different densities.

Tropical refers to the area of its origin, that is, the tropical region or the tropical seas. Cyclone refers to the winds blowing in a circular way. So, tropical storm means the movement of high-speed winds in a cyclical way that originates on tropical seas.

Tropical Storm Becomes Hurricane

When a tropical storm gets a sustained wind speed of 73 mph or more, it is called a hurricane. Saffir Simpson's Hurricane Wind Scale has put the hurricane on a scale 1 to 5, depending on its wind speed. The higher the category on a scale of 1 to 5, the greater the possibility of devastation.

Origin of Hurricane

Hurricanes generally originate in the Atlantic basin consisting of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Eastern Northern Pacific Ocean. It also originates, though less frequently, in the central North Pacific Ocean.

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center tracks the movement of these storms and predicts their origin, types, wind speed, movement and potential devastation.

FAQs:

Q1. What is a tropical storm?
A1. A tropical storm refers to the movement of high-speed winds in a circular way originating from tropical seas.

Q2. What is a hurricane?
A2. When a tropical storm gets a sustained wind speed of 73 mph or more, it is called a hurricane. Hurricanes generally originate in the Atlantic basin consisting of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Eastern Northern Pacific Ocean.