Hurricane:
Hurricane is a huge rotating storm which forms over warm waters in tropical areas with high speed of wind. In simple terms, it is the large storm with the rotating winds. The hurricane weakens when it comes to the land.
Tornado:
Tornado is the spinning air in violent form that touches the ground which occurs during strong thunderstorms. It is very dangerous and leads to much destruction. It touches the ground and the cloud above.
Differences:
| Basis | Hurricane | Tornado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition (www.oxforddictionaries.com) | A storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean. | A mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system. |
| Synonyms | Cyclone, tempest, gust, rainstorm, sirocco, monsoon | Twister, storm, windstorm, blow, crack, whirlwind |
| Antonyms | Unroll, anticyclone | Blizzard |
| Composition | Moist air, water | Water droplets, dust, debris |
| Shape | Closed, circular fluid motion. The low pressure center is known as the eye and the strong winds surrounding the eye is called the eye wall | Cylindrical columns/pillars, wedges |
| Types | Hurricane is type of cyclone. | Landspout, multiple vortex tornado, and waterspout |
| Word origin | The word hurricane was originated from Mid-16th century: from Spanish huracán, probably from Taino hurakán ‘god of the storm’. | The word tornado was originated from Mid-16th century (denoting a violent thunderstorm of the tropical Atlantic Ocean): perhaps an alteration of Spanish tronada ‘thunderstorm’ (from tronar ‘to thunder’) by association with Spanish tornar ‘to turn’. |
| Speed | Wind speed of 74mph to over 155mph. | Anywhere between 40mph and 360mph. |
| Damage | Hurricanes cause damage from the resulting floods from the surge. | Tornadoes cause damage by their powerful wind funnel. |
| Time period | Hurricanes last longer. | Tornadoes generate stronger winds which last for shorter time periods. |
| Warnings | Hurricanes follow a loosely defined course, giving time for safety warnings. | Tornadoes form within a short time, and safety warnings are harder to get out in time. |
| Scale for Measurement | Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale | Fujita (F), Enhanced Fujita (EF), and TORRO (T) Scale |
| Size | Radius of outermost closed isobar can range from 222km to 888 km. | Has a diameter on the scale of hundreds of meters. |
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| How are they formed | Warm low-pressure air rises, while cold high-pressure air moves underneath it. | Produced from a single convective storm (i.e. a thunderstorm or cumulonimbus cloud). |
| Location | Tropical zone, over warm waters in the Atlantic and Pacific ocean. | Can form on any continent, except Antarctica. |
| Life | Days | Minutes or hours |
| Size | Diameter of hundreds of kilometers | Diameter of hundreds of meters |
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