How are tropical cyclones classified?

Tropical cyclones with an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation, and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (61 km/h ) or less are called "tropical depressions". read more

Tropical cyclones or subtropical cyclones that exist, within the North Atlantic Ocean or the North-eastern Pacific Ocean, are classified as either tropical depressions or tropical storms. Should a system intensify further and become a hurricane, then it will be classified on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, which is based on the estimated maximum sustained winds over a 1-minute period. read more

Tropical cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They are classified as follows: Tropical Depression: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots). read more

The only difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon is the location where the storm occurs. Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon; we just use different names for these storms in different places. read more