What is a typhoon?

Answered by Discovery Channel

A typhoon is a tropical storm that occurs in the western Pacific Ocean and is identical to the hurricanes of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Like its twin, a typhoon is cyclonic, originates over warm seas and can have winds of more than 150 miles per hour (241 kilometers per hour). 

Though typhoons movements can be unpredictable, they generally follow a basic pattern. 

They begin slowly on a westward path, then increase speed and curve northward. 

Japan, southeastern China, the Philippines and the Mariana Islands are the areas most frequently affected by typhoons.