Depends on where you are on Earth! It's a cyclone in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, hurricane in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific, and typhoon in the northwest Pacific. Confusing, huh? Just think of it like ordering a fizzy drink – it's soda, pop, or coke, depending on where you are in the USA!

Real-World Example: It's like the confusion of football! Americans call it soccer, but the rest of the world calls it football. Similarly, cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons are essentially the same thing: low-pressure systems causing mayhem, just named differently based on where they occur!

A hurricane forms over tropical seas and is essentially a storm on steroids. These low-pressure systems bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and high waves. They originate over warm tropical seas, carrying enormous quantities of water (up to 500mm in 24 hours!). A bit like that time you left the garden hose on, except a billion times worse.

Fun Fact: The eye of the storm is a calm central area where winds spiral rapidly around. A mature hurricane can lower pressure to a whopping 880 millibars! Picture this: It's like you're in a giant, spinning bowl of soup, and the eye is the quiet middle where the spoon isn't stirring.

To begin life, hurricanes need specific conditions. Think of it like a plant needing sunlight, water, and good soil.

• Warm sea temperatures: The sea must be over 27°C to a depth of 60 metres. This warmth gives off heat that fuels the hurricane.

• Distance from the equator: The low-pressure area must be far enough from the equator for the Coriolis force (a force due to Earth's rotation) to rotate the rising air mass. Too close to the equator and there's not enough rotation to form a hurricane.

• Unstable conditions: Some tropical low-pressure systems can develop into hurricanes, but not all.

Real-World Example: Picture this – a hurricane forming is like baking a cake. You need the right ingredients (warm water, Coriolis force), and the right oven temperature (unstable conditions). Without these, your cake won't rise, and a hurricane won't form!