Erica's Answer:
A tornado is the official term for the severe weather event in which winds, sometimes in excess of 300mph, spiral downward from a severe thunderstorm. A cyclone is a regional term for what we call a hurricane here in the United States. Cyclones refer to tropical storms in the Indian Ocean that become as strong as a hurricane. Another regional term that you've probably heard is "typhoon". A typhoon is a hurricane in the western Pacific Ocean. Meteorologists also use the term "cyclone" for any storm with a center of low pressure.- Erica
