Tornado vs. Hurricane — What's the Difference?

Tornadoes are rated EF0 to EF5, indicating their destructiveness.

Can last for days or weeks, with paths that are monitored and predicted.

Often little to no warning before a tornado strikes.

Affects large areas with high winds, heavy rain, and flooding.

Known for causing severe damage over small areas.

In addition to winds, it can cause storm surges and widespread flooding.

A tornado is a narrow, spinning column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.

Hurricanes are categorized from Category 1 to 5 based on wind speed.

Typically lasts for a short duration but with intense impact.

A hurricane is a massive storm system with high winds circulating around a central eye.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. The windstorm is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology to name a weather system with a low-pressure area in the center around which, from an observer looking down toward the surface of the earth, winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern.

A severe tropical cyclone having winds greater than 64 knots (74 miles per hour; 119 kilometers per hour), originating in the equatorial regions of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean Sea or eastern regions of the Pacific Ocean, traveling north, northwest, or northeast from its point of origin, and usually involving heavy rains.

A violently rotating column of air extending from a cumulonimbus cloud to the ground, ranging in width from a few meters to more than a kilometer, with destructive winds up to 510 kilometers (316 miles) per hour or higher. Tornadoes are typically associated with a funnel cloud pendant from a storm's wall cloud, often extending to the bottom of the tornado.

A wind with a speed greater than 64 knots (74 miles per hour; 119 kilometers per hour per hour), according to the Beaufort scale.

A violent thunderstorm in western Africa or nearby Atlantic waters.

Something resembling a hurricane in force or speed.

A whirlwind or hurricane.

A severe tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, or in the eastern North Pacific off the west coast of Mexico, with winds of 119 km/h (74 miles per hour) or greater accompanied by rain, lightning, and thunder that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes.

(meteorology) A violent windstorm characterized by a mobile, twisting, funnel-shaped cloud.

(meteorology) A wind scale for quite strong wind, stronger than a storm

A violent whirling wind; specifically (Meteorol.), a tempest distinguished by a rapid whirling and slow progressive motion, usually accompaned with severe thunder, lightning, and torrents of rain, and commonly of short duration and small breadth; a small cyclone.

"full—triple-full—full" – an acrobatic maneuver consisting of three flips and five twists, with one twist on the first flip, three twists on the second flip, one twist on the third flip

A localized and violently destructive windstorm occurring over land characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground

A violent storm, characterized by extreme fury and sudden changes of the wind, and generally accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning; - especially prevalent in the East and West Indies. Also used figuratively.

A purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted

A severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale)

Yes, tornadoes can form within the bands of a hurricane, especially when it makes landfall.

Tornadoes last from seconds to over an hour, while hurricanes can last for days to weeks.

Tornadoes are rapidly rotating columns of air causing localized damage, while hurricanes are large storm systems with widespread impacts.

Tornadoes are common in land areas, particularly in the US's Tornado Alley, while hurricanes form over warm ocean waters.

Tornado intensity is measured on the EF scale, and hurricane intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Tornadoes can occur year-round but are most common in spring and early summer in the US, while hurricanes typically occur from June to November.

Hurricanes can cause wind damage, flooding, and storm surges.

Hurricanes are more predictable due to their longer development time and path predictability.

The main hazards include wind damage and flying debris.

There is no technology to control them, but early warning systems can mitigate their impacts.

Climate change is believed to influence the intensity and frequency of these events, potentially leading to more severe weather occurrences.

Tornadoes are detected using radar and storm spotters, while hurricanes are tracked through satellites and weather aircraft.

For tornadoes, seeking shelter in a basement or interior room; for hurricanes, evacuation and securing property against wind and water.

They should follow safety instructions, which for tornadoes mean seeking shelter immediately, and for hurricanes, it may involve evacuation or securing one's home.