How are cyclones and tornadoes different?

Answer 1

Yes.

A cyclone is virtually any low pressure system that rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere or clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This would include ordinary low pressure systems which often bring rain and thunderstorms but are not necessarily severe. Tropical storms, tropical depressions, and hurricanes are also considered cyclones.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. The vast majority of tornadoes are cyclonic but a small percentage are anticyclonic, meaning they spin clockwise in the northern hemisphere or counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer 2

Hurricanes:

• Are typically hundreds of miles wide.
• Form only over warm ocean water.
• Last for days and sometimes well over a week.
• Produce rain and flooding in addition to powerful winds.
• Are independent, self sustaining storm systems.
• Have winds ranging from 74 to about 200 mph

Tornadoes:

• Are rarely over a mile wide
• Usually form over land
• Usually last minutes, rarely a few hours
• Cause damage via wind and debris
• Are dependent on a large storm to develop and keep going
• have winds ranging from 65 to about 300mph
• Often have a condensation funnel.

Cyclones are a somewhat different as they are a broader category. A hurricane is a type of cyclone.

A cyclone is any independent, large-scale low pressure system with closed cyclonic circulation. They often bring rain and can produce strong winds and thunderstorms, but they are not necessarily severe or damaging.

Answer 3

• Tornadoes can be up to 4km across, and are usually no more than a few hundred meters wide, while Tropical cyclones are hundreds of kilometers across.
• Tornadoes usually only last a few minutes, rarely over an hour, while Tropical Cyclones last several days, maybe even a week.
• Tornado wind speeds typically range from 63 to 177km/h though can exceed 480km/h. When the wind speeds of a tropical cyclone are between 63km/h and 118km/h they are called tropical storms, when the speed reaches 119km/h, they are called hurricanes, typhoons, or intense tropical cyclones depending on the region.
• Tropical Cyclones form over sea then may travel over land, while Tornadoes form primarily over land. When Tornadoes form over seas, they are called waterspouts.
• Tornadoes are formed when wind shear sets thunderstorms rotating, and that rotation then tightens, intensifies, and extends to the ground.
  
• A Tropical Cyclone is formed when an area of low pressure moves over warm ocean water. The moisture feeds into the system causing it to intensify. An effect called the 'Coriolis effect' causes it to rotate in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction, depending on whether your in the southern or northern hemisphere, and as a result become better organized.
  

Answer 4

Yes.

A cyclone is virtually any low pressure system that rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere or clockwise in the southern hemisphere. This would include ordinary low pressure systems which often bring rain and thunderstorms but are not necessarily severe. Tropical storms, tropical depressions, and hurricanes are also considered cyclones.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. The vast majority of tornadoes are cyclonic but a small percentage are anticyclonic, meaning they spin clockwise in the northern hemisphere or counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Answer 5

No. While a tornado and a cyclone have a number of things in common, they are two different things. A tornado is a small-scale circulation that is dependent on a parent storm cell. A cyclone is a large-scale circulation that is its own independent weather system.

Answer 6

A cyclone is just about any large scale low pressure system. Such systems are usually a few hundred miles across. They often bring rain and thunderstorms, but they are not necessarily violent or severe. A cyclone is usually its own independent weather system

A tornado is a violently rotating columns of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes are tiny compared with cyclones, rarely exceeding a mile in width, and are dependent on a large parent storm to form and to keep going. Also, tornadoes are a form of severe weather by definition.

Answer 7

A tornado and a twister are the exact same thing. A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from the based of a thunderstorm to the ground. It is a small-scale event in meteorological terms, rarely over a mile wide and is dependent on a parent storm. A tornado is often made visible by a characteristic condensation funnel. Tornadoes produce violent, rotating winds that, in rare cases, can briefly exceed 300 mph.

A cyclone is a large-scale low pressure system with a close circulation and a definite center of rotation. Unlike a tornado, a cyclone is its own weather system and is typically at least a few hundred miles wide. They come in two main varieties. The more violent of the two are tropical cyclones, which may sometimes be called hurricanes or typhoons depending on where they form. They form over the ocean and can bring large waves, damaging winds, and torrential rain. There are also extratropical or mid-latitude cyclones, which are associated with warm and cold fronts. They are generally not as violent as tropical cyclones, but may be larger. They can sometimes spawn strong thunderstorms, while the stronger cyclones can become blizzards when they occur in the winter.