Hurricane? Cyclone? Typhoon? Here’s the Difference

Typhoon Kalmaegi has caused devastating impacts, killing at least 114 people in the Philippines and leaving many more missing as it moved on to hit Vietnam. A second typhoon, Fong-Wong, is forecast to strike the Philippines around Sunday and is expected to strengthen into a major storm.

What Are These Storms?

Despite having different names, hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones are all officially the same type of weather phenomenon: tropical cyclones. The naming depends on the region where they occur.

Hurricanes form in the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and the central and northeast Pacific.
Typhoons occur in the northwest Pacific.
Cyclones develop in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
In the southwest Indian Ocean, they are called tropical cyclones, while in the southwestern Pacific and southeastern Indian Ocean, they are termed severe tropical cyclones.

Storm Categories and Naming

A storm is given a name and classified as a tropical storm when its winds reach 39 mph (63 km/h). It graduates to a hurricane, typhoon, or cyclone when winds hit 74 mph (119 km/h). These storms are categorized into five strength levels based on wind speed, with category 5 being the most severe at over 155 mph (249 km/h).

Typhoon Kalmaegi has killed at least 114 people in the Philippines with even more missing and then hit Vietnam Friday.

Hurricane? Here’s the Difference

Author’s summary: Tropical cyclones have different names worldwide but share common characteristics and severity levels based on wind speed.

U.S. News & World Report — 2025-11-06