A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds , and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by different names, including hurricane ( / ˈ h ʌr ɪ k ən , - k eɪ n / ), [1] [2] [3] typhoon ( / t aɪ ˈ f uː n / ), tropical storm , cyclonic storm, tropical depression , and simply cyclone. [4] A hurricane is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Pacific Ocean , and a typhoon occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean; while in the south Pacific or Indian Ocean , comparable storms are referred to simply as "tropical cyclones" or "severe cyclonic storms". [4] "Tropical" refers to the geographical origin of these systems, which form al...