Cyclone and Tornado are two furies of nature that show differences between them in terms of their nature and phenomenon.
(i) One of the main differences between cyclone and tornado is that cyclone develops over sheets of water. On the other hand tornado develops over land.
(ii) Both of them differ in terms of their duration. Cyclone lasts for longer duration when compared to tornado. It is quite true that a tornado can last for only a few minutes, but still the damage can be alarming. The damage caused by a tornado is sometimes greater when compared to the damage caused by a cyclone. It is also to note that the damage caused by a tornado is targeted in nature. On the other hand the damage caused by a cyclone is not targeted in nature. It spreads across several parts of the ocean at the same time. This the reason why the damage caused by a cyclone is well spread and even too.
(iii) It is interesting to note that cyclone can at times lead to the development or the formation of tornado. On the other hand a tornado is not capable of causing or developing a cyclone.
(iv) A cyclone can cause fright in the minds of people whereas a tornado can cause instant damage to buildings, infrastructure and even people in minutes. On the other hand a cyclone too affects buildings and people in its path and hence it is considered widespread.
(v) Cyclone and tornado appear alike once a cyclone moves from the sheets of water and reaches land. This is probably the reason why cyclone is considered a geographic phenomenon that can pave the way for a tornado too.
(vi) It is important to know that tornadoes are observed on every continent except Antarctica. On the other hand there are six main types of cyclone. They are polar cyclones, polar lows, extra-tropical cyclones, subtropical cyclones, tropical cyclones and meso-cyclones.
(vii) Cyclones are characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anti clockwise in the Northern