typhoon

A regional name for a severe tropical cyclone in the western North Pacific with maximum surface winds in excess of 32 m s⁻¹ (64 kt).
The name is derived either from Cantonese t’ai fung (a “great wind”), from Arabic tufan ("smoke"), or from Greek typhon (a “monster”). Aristotle used typhon for a wind-containing cloud (Meteorologica, III, 1). For a more complete discussion, see tropical cyclone.

Term edited on 15 June 2026.