What Is A Typhoon?

Typhoon Hagibis has wreaked havoc on the Rugby World Cup, but exactly is a typhoon?

What Is A Typhoon

What Is A Typhoon?

The hosting of the final set of group stage matches at the 2019 Rugby World Cup have been disrupted and even cancelled by Typhoon Hagibis, but what exactly is a typhoon?

Well according to the National Ocean Service; “A tropical cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists to describe a rotating, organised system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation.”

So what is the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane? Well nothing really because they are called different things purely on the location they appear.

For example in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific, the term hurricane is used.

The same kind of phenomena occurring in the Northwest Pacific is called a typhoon.

Then, in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, the generic term tropical cyclone is used.

So how do typhoons come about? Well they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator. Warm air over the ocean rises upward which causes low pressure below. Moist air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure moves into this area and that then moves upward as well which creates clouds. This system of clouds and wind spins and grows because the ocean continues to feed it.

This storm then continues to spin faster and faster which creates an eye in the middle which is very calm and clear. When the wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour, the storm is officially a typhoon, tropical cyclone and hurricane.

Follow our Rugby World Cup homepage which we update regularly with news and features.

Also make sure you know about the Groups, Warm-ups, Dates, Fixtures, Venues, TV Coverage, Qualified Teams by clicking on the highlighted links.

Finally, don’t forget to follow Rugby World on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.