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Differences Between Cyclone, Tornado, Puting Beliung, and Water Spout

Cyclone, tornado, puting beliung and water spout are atmospheric vortex. Though radius of tornado, puting beliung and water spout is about hundreds of meters, while radius of cyclone may exceed hundreds of kilometres. Tornado formed above land, though tropical cyclone above ocean and dissipates when it moves inland. Putting beliung is local terminology for weak tornado in Indonesia, and water spout is tornado formed above waters (lake or sea).

Differences between cyclone and tornado are mentioned below:

Criteria	Cyclone	Tornado
Development origin	Ocean, generally at more than 10 degrees latitude.	Over land. Tornado developed over waters is called water spout.
Movement	Westward or southwestward for southern hemisphere cyclone, anf westward or northwestward for northern hemisphere cyclone.	Movement is depends on the thunderstorm movement.
Radius	Hundreds of meters	Hundreds of kilometers
Life Period	1 - 30 days, with average 3 - 8 days	3 minutes to more than an hour

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