In general use the term cyclone is applied to any storm, especially violent, small scale circulations such as tornados, waterspouts, and dust devils. In meteorology, the term refers to a type of atmospheric disturbance centered around a low-pressure center that often results in stormy weather. In common practice the term cyclone, and low, are used interchangeably and are frequently referred to as storms. In the Northern Hemisphere the air rapidly circulates counterclockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere clockwise. Tropical cyclones with sustained winds above 73 miles per hour are known as hurricanes in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern North Pacific (east of the date line) and cyclones in the Indian Ocean. They are known as typhoons in other areas or the world. Both mid-latitude and tropical storms serve an important function in transferring warmth away from the tropics to the poles