Nor'easters in Duckburg [getting OT]

[Katie Sullivan]

I wrote:
> > It could be argued that a few generations
> > ago "hurricane" was popularly used to refer
> > to ANY windstorm, regardless of its tropical
> > origin. Nowadays the word is, as far as I
> > know, exclusively used to refer to large
> > circular weather systems originating in
> > the tropics, with winds over 74 mph.


To which Sigvald replied:
> This seems to be wrong. In a Norwegian encyclopaedia I have
> found a correct
> definition for "orkan" (=hurricane). It says that hurricane is
> the strongest
> wind-strength in Beuforts scale (strength 12 = over 32,6
> meters per second).
> This definition fits well with how the word is used in
> Norwegian.

There are many ways the word "hurricane" can be used in American
English.  By far the most common, in my experience, is to refer
to those large, circular storms from the tropics.  The strongest
rating on the Beaufort scale of wind intensity is listed as
"hurricane force," yes.  So your dictionary is partially right. 
Thirdly, the word can also simply mean "a strong wind storm." 
For example, Rose Wilder Lane (I think that's her name, she was
the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter) wrote a book titled
"Let the Hurricane Roar," and she was referring to windy storms
on the great American prairie.

And as someone (Olaf?) said, mph = miles per hour.  I don't know
what that is in kilometers per hour, and I'm too horrible at
math to hazard a guess.  ;)
That is the scientific definition of a hurricane.

This might help...
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqHED.html
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html
http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm  (I'm not trying to be
insulting by linking to a kids' site.  It's really a good site,
and the language probably isn't as complicated for a non-native
speaker to translate.  I'm also biased in their favor because
they have some of my artwork on their site.  ;)

We're getting off-topic but if you're still confused you can
e-mail me.

Katie Sullivan
http://www.sullivanet.com/

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