Weather Hazards

• Finish the sentence: Global atmospheric circulation helps to determine ...

  patterns of weather and climate.
• there is a relationship between tropical storms and ...

  general atmospheric circulation
• what is global atmospheric circulation?

  The circular movement of air in cells around the earth to try and balance the temperature
• what is the atmosphere?

  the layer of gases such as water vapour and oxygen that surrounds Earth
• what is the diagram for global atmospheric circulation?

  
• what are all the cells from top to bottom?

  Polar cell, Ferrel cell, Hadley cell, Hadley cell, Ferrel Cell, Polar Cell
• what are prevailing winds?

  winds that blow in the same direction over large areas of Earth
• give a detailed explanation of the global atmospheric circulation diagram.

  At low pressure, air rises and spreads causing winds to move towards these areas causing a lot of rain and clouds such as the rainforests at the equator and at 60 degrees North in the UK. At high pressure air sinks and winds move outwards such as the desert which is 30 degrees South.
• What is the Coroilis effect?


  winds are distorted by the tilt and rotation of the earth. they curve as they move from areas of high pressure to low pressure.
• Why are surface winds important?

  They transfer heat and moisture from one place to another
• how do seasonal changes affect the pattern of pressure belts and winds?

  the rotation of the earth changes the position of the sun. these seasonal changes cause winds to move north during summer and then south during winter.
• Where do the prevailing winds from the UK come from ?

  from the southwest over the Atlantic Ocean.
• why is the UK cloudy and wet?

  The UK is on the 60 degrees North latitude. Low pressure and rising air cooling causes clouds to form and condensation produces rain. The hot surface winds come in from the south east and the polar air moves in from the north bringing cold and snowy weather
• Why is it hot and dry in the desert?

  they are located 30 degrees north and south of the equator. At these latitudes the air sinks causing high pressure. Clouds don't form and there is low rain. in the day it is hot but at night the heat is lost from the ground so it becomes very cold.
• Why is it hot and sweaty at the equator?

  The sun's energy is the most concentrated, this causes the air to rise and low pressure which leads to clouds. there are tropical rainforests and it is often cloudy with high rainfall.
• what is a tropical storm?

  A huge storm that develops in the tropics and has high winds with intense rainfall. a spinning mass of clouds.
• what are the 3 tropical storms?

  hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons
• where are hurricanes originated?

  the atlantic ocean in the USA and caribbean
• where are cyclones originated?

  in the indian ocean so south east Asia and Australia.
• where are typhoons originated?

  in the pacific ocean so Japan and Phillipines.
• what are the conditions of tropical storms?

  warm oceans above 27 degrees, they form in summer when sea temperatures are at their highest. they form 5-15 north and south of the equator where the coriolis effect isn't strong. In the tropical regions the intense heat makes the air unstable and it rises rapidly. Trade winds move them near to the equator.
• How do tropical storms form? (in some detail)

  hurricanes form at 26 then develop at 28 at the equator where there is moisture. water vapour from rising air condenses into cloud droplets and produces violent thunder clouds. trade winds and the spiining of the earth cause it to rotat.

  
• simply how do tropical storms form.

  evaporation of water vapour, condensation of air (clouds), with the earth's rotation and wind.
• how do tropical storms form in 6 steps?

  1) hurricanes form in warm waters and the movement of air causes evaporation of water.

  
  

  2) as the water vapour cools it condenses into clouds and heat is released causing more uplift and low pressure.

  
  

  3) due to the coriolis effect the system of clouds rotate as well. several small thunderstorms join to form a giant spinning storm (officially when surface winds reach 120km/h)

  
  

  4) the storm develops an eye in the centre where there is descending air and high pressure there will be no rain and calm conditions but the outer edge eyewall is where there are the most intense conditions.

  
  

  5) due to prevailing winds, storms are driven NW or SW to areas such as the US or Phillipines and gains more strength.

  
  

  6) once the storms contact land, due to the friction, they lose their source of power and slow down and the storm dissipates. But when it touches water again it gains power again.
• what is the structure of a tropical storm

  A SYMMETRICAL STRUCTURE

  
  

  1) heavy rain and possible thunder (further banks of clouds).

  
  

  2) heavy rain and thunderstorms

  
  

  3) eye wall

  
  

  4) eye

  
  

  5) eye wall

  
  

  6) heavy rain and thunderstorms

  
  

  7) heavy rain and possible thunder.

  
• explain the structure of a tropical storm?

  1) beyond the eye wall: there are banks of clouds with occasional tornadoes with strong winds and heavy rain.

  
  

  2) eye wall: a bank of cloud with strong winds above 120km/h, torrential rain, very strong winds, thunder and lightning.

  
  

  3) the eye: a small area where cold air sinks to the ground to warm up, there are no clouds and very calm conditions.
• what is the global distribution of tropical storms?

  form in warm waters 5-19 degrees south and north of the equator in both hemispheres where there is moisture. different storms effect different areas, tr6ade winds move storm due to the Coriolis effect. storms in the northern hemisphere move NW and in the southern hemisphere they move south west.
• How will climate change affect tropical storms?

  rising global temperatures will impact distribution, frequency and intensity of tropical storms
• How will climate change affect the distribution of tropical storms?

  The Tropic's temperatures have increased by 0.25-0.5 degrees. Waters may start to reach 27. Tropical storms may start affecting areas outside hazard zones such as the south Atlantic. One example is a hurricane on the coast of Brazil where hurricanes don't happen.
• how will climate change affect the frequency of tropical storms?

  Climate change can cause an intensification of rainfall and windspeed. The frequency of tropical storms may decrease in the future but their intensity might increase.
• how will climate change affect the intensity of tropical storms?

  Climate change leads to warmer waters and this means that intensity is expected to increase due to higher rates of evaporation. However more data is needed over a period of time.
• Finish the sentence: Tropical storms have significant effects on ...

  people, property and the environment
• when did Typhoon Haiyan happen?

  November 2013
• What magnitude was Typhoon Haiyan?

  category 5 on the Saffir Simpson scale
• What happened during typhoon haiyan?

  An intense typhoon hit the phillipines, it originated in the pacific and travelled NW due to trade winds.
• what were the overall effects of Typhoon Haiyan?

  huge areas of the coastline were destroyed due to 275km/h winds. The city of Tacloban was the most devestated with 220,000 homeless and 5m storm surge as strong winds swept water onshore.
• what were the main primary effects of typhoon Haiyan?

  1) 6,300 dead (most drowned due to the storm surge). with 600,000 displaced and 90% of Tacloban destroyed.

  
  

  2) The airport and communication was destroyed, delaying international aid and crops (as 30,000 fishing boats were destroyed and strong winds damaged crops).

  
  

  3) over 400mm of rain caused widespread flooding as the bay was narrow so water was squeezed into the bay.
• what were the main secondary effects of typhoon Haiyan?

  1) 6 million lost their source of income, jobs were lost, hospitals and schools were destroyed/damaged impacting people's livelihoods and education.

  
  

  2) flooding led to landslides, cutting off aid and blocking roads.

  
  

  3) power supplies were cut off for a month and families were separated.

  
  

  4) shortages of water, food and shelter leading to disease.

  
  

  5) looting and violence broke out in Tacloban.
• what were the immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan?

  1) international aid responded quickly and efficiently with helicopters (Us aircrafts assisted search and rescue).

  
  

  2) 1,200 evacuation centres helped the homeless

  
  

  3) UK government sent shelter kits.

  
  

  4) field hospitals set up for the injured

  
  

  5) The Phillipines Red Cross delivered basic food aid (rice, sugar, salt and cooking oil).
• what were the long-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan?

  1) the UN as well as the UK and Japan donated financial aid and supplies.

  
  

  2) bridges, roads and airport facilities were being rebuild and houses were built away from areas at risk of flooding.

  
  

  3) 'Cash for Work' programmes - people got paid to clear debris.

  
  

  4) Rice farming and fishing quickly re-established but trees will take longer.

  
  

  5) Oxfam supported the replacement of fishing boats.