A violent storm is a powerful and destructive weather event that can cause significant damage to property and people. TEMPEST, TYPHOON, TORNADO, SQUALL, GALE, HURRICANE, and CYCLONE are all terms used to describe a violent storm. A TEMPEST is a violent windstorm with heavy rain or hail, a TYPHOON is a tropical CYCLONE found in the western Pacific Ocean, a TORNADO is a rapidly rotating column of air that forms a funnel-shaped cloud, a SQUALL is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed, a GALE is a strong wind with gusts between 39 and 54 mph, a HURRICANE is a tropical CYCLONE with winds over 74 mph, and a CYCLONE is a large scale air mass that rotates around a low-pressure center.