Weather Savvy
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Is A Cyclone A Tornado?

Yes, a tornado is a cyclone. But a hurricane is a cyclone too. A cyclone is a general term referring to an area of closed circulation. While a tornado is a type of cyclone, so too is a hurricane, and even the big "L" you see on a weather map. The "L" on the weather map stands for low pressure, but it is on a synoptic scale (a large scale measuring hundreds of miles or more), while a tornado is on a micro-scale or storm-scale.