They are all the same thing, but the name depends upon where it occurs. A hurricane in the West Pacific is a Typhoon. A hurricane in the Indian Ocean is a Cyclone. I assume a hurricane in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico is still a hurricane. They will have winds of 73 mph or more, rotating clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere. This is a result of the spinning of the earth and the way winds pass over a spinning sphere. It is that simple, and all those years I never really understood it.
My interest was tweaked, and I then wanted to know the official description of what is a tornado and also a monsoon.
TORNADO: A violently rotating column of air, occurring in every continent except Antarctica.
MONSOON: Winds bringing heavy rains from alternating directions dependant upon the time of year. Occurring only in tropical and subtropical areas.
Well that is very interesting so what brings up that subject? There was a rumour yesterday about a Cyclone in northern Australia. Today the captain announced that we will be somewhat under the influence of Cyclone Nicholas. [Darn Russians!] The ship has altered course somewhat to reduce that influence. The storm is moving Southwest and we are just off the coast about the middle of Australia. The captain said that we would not be closer than 200 miles from the centre of the storms projected path. I read in the reference book that cyclones have a diameter of between 50 and 900 miles.
Unless it is a very violent storm we should be just fine and all we get out of it is a day in our cabin with a good book. The captain predicts 30 knot winds, a 'following high sea' and a moderate swell. All this is to happen to us in 'the early morning hours'.
My good friend Ian would be able to tell you more about these conditions but he is in Whitley Bay, UK at the moment.
At the dinner table tonight our Japanese friend asked if this is the night that she lashes her jewellery to her life jacket so she does not have to carry it. Strangely, today the lecturer told a story of a shipwreck off of Anglesea, UK, where passengers coming from the gold fields of Australia were on a ship that was wrecked. Many drowned because they had their gold and other treasures on vests and belts on their person. They did not trust the ships vaults.
It is an amazing world, here we are off the coast of Australia concerned about a cyclone that in the scheme of things most people in this entire world will never hear about.
Thought of the day on our bed tonight, "You can finish school, but you can never finish your education".
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