The term probably derives from the Spanish tronada, which means thunderstorm. These winds flow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Even a little dust devil' is technically a cyclone. All tornadoes are, strictly speaking, also cyclones, but not all cyclones are tornadoes. But what may make your head spin a bit is the relationship between cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons.
Hurricanes are cyclones beginning over the tropics in the Atlantic or the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Folks in the West Indies named them huracans, or big storms. Tropical cyclones from the Philippines or China Sea are typhoons, from the Chinese taifun, or great wind. This difference in word usage is roughly similar to the regional language variations that, for example, refer to a submarine-shaped sandwich as a hero or a grinder. Due to the large volume of mail we receive only questions for publication can be answered. The official Web site of Popular Science Magazine.