A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Characteristics.
- A hurricane is its own, self-sustaining storm system.
- Hurricanes are enormous, typically spanning several hundred miles in diameter.
- Hurricanes form over warm ocean water and are mostly limited to the tropics.
- Hurricanes produce heavy rain and flooding in addition to powerful winds
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending fro the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Characteristics of tornadoes that are not like those of hurricanes:
- A tornado is dependent on a larger parent thunderstorm
- Tornadoes are small in weather terms, only a handful have been over 2 miles wide.
- Tornadoes typically form over land and can form almost anywhere, but are most common intemperate regions
- Tornadoes a chiefly a wind event.
- Tornadoes are usually made visible by a condensation funnel.
