1. A typhoon forms when winds blow into areas of the ocean where the water is warm.

These winds
collect moisture and rise, while colder air moves in below. This creates pressure, which causes the
winds to move very quickly. The more warm air and moisture there is, the more intense the winds.
These typhoons frequently originate in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, usually in the tropical seas
around the Caroline Islands and the Philippines, and occasionally also arise from the South China
Sea. Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and China are the largest countries that are most affected by
typhoons. Thunderstorms, warm ocean water and light wind are needed for a hurricane to form.
These storms are called hurricanes in the Atlantic and are called typhoons and tropical cyclones in
other parts of the world. For one to form, there needs to be warm ocean water and moist, humid air
in the region.

2. The Philippines is prone to tropical cyclones due to its geographical location which generally produce
heavy rains and flooding of large areas and also strong winds which result in heavy casualties to
human life and destruction to crops and properties. Typhoons regularly batter the Philippine
archipelago, packed with more than 100 million people. As sea-surface temperatures rise, the
Philippines' positioning in warm ocean waters means the country is being subjected to both bigger
and more frequent tropical storms.

3. Land forms and bodies of water affect typhoons depending on how much energy they give off, or
what kind of energy source they provide. This is manifested when a typhoon from the ocean passes
over land. While still in the water areas, the typhoon is strongest, but its strong winds will normally
diminish when it is over land. When it moves over mountains, the effect of topography further
retards the air strength. Once they move over cold water or over land and lose touch with the hot
water that powers them, these storms weaken and break apart. Recent studies have shown a link
between ocean surface temperatures and tropical storm intensity warmer waters fuel more
energetic storms.

4. Tropical Depression: A tropical depression forms when a low pressure area is accompanied by
thunderstorms that produce a circular wind flow with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph. An
upgrade to a tropical storm occurs when cyclonic circulation becomes more organized and maximum
sustained winds gust between 39 mph and 73 mph.

Tropical Storm: A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that has maximum sustained surface winds
ranging from 39-73 mph (34 to 63 knots). Hurricane. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone that has maximum
sustained surface winds of 74 mph or greater (64 knots or greater).

Typhoon: A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the
Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active
tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost one-third of the world's annual tropical cyclones.

Super Typhoon: The most severe, a tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed exceeding 137 mph,
is given storm signal #5 (purple) and designated a super typhoon. (The Manila Typhoon Center, however,
considers a system to be a super typhoon once its winds reach or exceed 124 mph.)