Henry and the Weather

There's another one! This time it's male. I don't know what that means, one of my officemates says that they use a masculine name when the storm is stronger. But this one hasn't been spewing particularly aggressive rains or blowing winds powerful enough to frighten me like Glenda did.

Trusty PAGASA says:

Tropical Depression "HENRY" was estimated based on radar, satellite and surface data at 50 kms west northwest of Casiguran, Aurora (16.5°N 121.8°E) with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph. It is forecast to move west northwest at 13 kph. Southwest monsoon affecting Southern Luzon and Western Visayas.

So there are in fact two storms raging at the moment, Henry and a yet unnamed one roaming the southwestern region. So for those travelling here, be prepared for a long and wet rest of 2006.

I did some quick research on some terms that PAGASA uses and I just want to know why there are so many names for storm.

So tropical depression, tropical storm, hurricane and typhoon are all tropical cyclones but different terms are used depending on how strong the cyclones are and which place they're hovering over.

The Tropical Cyclone is a warm core low pressure system which develops over tropical, and sometimes subtropical, waters, and has an organized circulation. Depending on sustained surface winds, the system is classified as a tropical disturbance, a tropical depression, a tropical storm, or a hurricane or typhoon.

Tropical Depression

• a mass of thunderstorms and clouds generally with a cyclonic wind circulation of between 20 and 34 knots
• a tropical cyclone in which the maximum sustained surface winds are 38 miles per hour (33 knots) or less

Storm

• any disturbed state of a planet's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It may be marked by strong winds, thunder and lightning, heavy precipitation, such as ice
• an atmospheric disturbance manifested in strong winds accompanied by rain, snow, or other precipitation and often by thunder and lightning

Hurricane
aka Typhoon, Tropical Cyclones, Willy- Willies (!)

• tropical storms with wind speeds of 64 knots (117km/h) up to 240 knots (414 km/h) that can be thousands of square kilometers in size
• usually have a lifespan of several days

The Typhoon

• forms in the western Pacific Ocean

This is one more term I like to use a lot because it sounds cool:

The Monsoon

• seasonal shift of winds created by the great annual temperature variation that occurs over large land areas in contrast with associated ocean surfaces
• associated primarily with the moisture and copious rains
• any wind that changes direction with the seasons
• characterized by very heavy rainfall

Basically, they are all the same thing.
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References: Weather.com, Climate / Weather Terms Glossary, Weather Glossary, Wikipedia and Dictionary.com