A typhoon (from the Chinese taifun, "great wind") is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the western Pacific Ocean and is usually confined to a band between latitudes 6 degrees and 35 degrees, both north and south. They frequently occur in the vicinity of the Philippine Islands, the South China See, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Taiwan Strait.
The typhoon consists of a cyclonic storm of unusually low atmospheric pressure, formed over the water and accompanied by winds that may reach velocities of 100 to 150 miles per hour in the most active parts of the vortex. Winds rotate around the center or "eye" of the storm in a counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
The typhoon's path is marked by widespread and lowering dark clouds, torrential rains, and surging seas; it quickly dissipates as it moves over land. Cloudiness may cover an area measuring almost 2,000 miles in diameter. Before the arrival of the typhoon, the atmosphere is sultry and oppressive, and a mercury barometer exhibits a peculiar pumping action. Typhoons may develop at any time during the year, but occur most frequently (in the Northern Hemisphere) between July and November, at which time the doldrums are farthest north of the equator. The average frequency of occurrence for the entire typhoon region is approximately 20 to 25 storms per year.
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