Frequently Asked Questions

They are the same phenomenon. The name changes by location: hurricanes in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, typhoons in the Northwest Pacific, cyclones in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

By maximum sustained wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson scale (1-5). Category 1: 119-153 km/h, Category 5: over 252 km/h. Central pressure is another indicator - lower pressure means a stronger storm.

The eye is the calm center of a mature tropical cyclone, 30-65 km across. Air sinks in the eye, suppressing clouds. Despite the calm eye, the eyewall around it has the strongest winds and heaviest rain.

Atlantic: June 1 to November 30. Northwest Pacific: year-round, peaking July-October. North Indian: May-June and October-November. South Pacific: November to April.

The World Meteorological Organization maintains rotating lists. Names repeat every six years unless retired. A name is retired if the storm was very deadly or costly, like Katrina, Haiyan, or Harvey.

Track forecasting has improved dramatically. Today's 5-day forecast is as accurate as a 3-day forecast 20 years ago. The average 48-hour track error is about 100-150 km. Intensity forecasting remains challenging.

Four main hazards: storm surge (the deadliest - seawater pushed ashore), high winds (destroy buildings, knock down trees), heavy rainfall (inland flooding), and tornadoes (typically in the right-front quadrant).

Know your evacuation zone. Prepare an emergency kit with 3 days of water and food, medications, flashlight, batteries, first aid kit, and important documents. Secure outdoor objects. Follow evacuation orders immediately.