Causes and features of tropical storms

• What are the key features of tropical storms?

  • Very low pressures<br>- High winds<br>- Heavy rainfall
• What is the structure of a tropical storm?

  A cylinder of rising, spiraling air surrounding an eye of descending cool air
• What is the eye of a storm?

  A region of clear skies where cool air is descending
• What is the eye wall in a tropical storm?

  Cloud banks that surround the eye
• Where are the strongest winds located in a tropical storm?

  In the eye wall
• How wide can tropical storms form?

  Hundreds of kilometers in width
• What conditions are required for tropical storms to form?

  A source of warm, moist air and warm ocean temperatures
• How does warm ocean water contribute to the formation of tropical storms?

  It causes water to evaporate, leading to cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms
• What happens when air rises and spins in a tropical storm?

  It accelerates in speed, leading to lower pressure at the center and a stronger hurricane
• What occurs when rising air cools and condenses in a tropical storm?

  More cumulonimbus clouds form, bringing rain, thunder, and lightning
• How does climate change affect tropical storms?

  • Affects distribution, frequency, and intensity
  • Global warming increases storm intensity
  • Higher wind speeds lead to more destructive storms
  • More storms occur outside current distribution
• How does climate change impact the frequency and intensity of tropical storms?

  Global warming increases storm intensity and frequency
• What is the effect of climate change on the distribution of tropical storms?

  More storms occur outside the current distribution