The difference between a hurricane and a typhoon lies solely in their location, not in their nature or structure. Both hurricanes and typhoons are types of tropical cyclones-intense circular storms that form over warm tropical or subtropical waters, characterized by low atmospheric pressure, strong winds exceeding 74 mph (119 km/h), heavy rain, and a distinct eye at the center

. Key distinctions:

• Hurricane: This term is used for tropical cyclones occurring over the North Atlantic Ocean, the central North Pacific Ocean, and the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Regions affected include the Caribbean, Florida, Texas, and Hawaii

• Typhoon: This term applies to tropical cyclones forming over the Northwest Pacific Ocean, typically affecting East Asia, including countries like Japan and the Philippines

• Other regions: In the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, such storms are generally called tropical cyclones or severe tropical cyclones, regardless of strength

Both hurricanes and typhoons develop from tropical depressions and tropical storms as their wind speeds increase, and they are categorized by intensity on similar scales (e.g., the Saffir-Simpson scale). They lose strength upon making landfall due to the loss of warm water energy

. In summary, a hurricane and a typhoon are the same meteorological phenomenon distinguished only by the ocean basin in which they occur. Hurricanes form in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, while typhoons form in the western Pacific