hurricanes- year 10 cat 1

• Hurricane fact file-

  ~they are approximately 500km across

  ~they spin anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere

  ~they are formed in seas 27*c or above

  ~their wind speed is over 74mph(114kph)

  ~their winds can reach 215mph (350 kph)

  ~they are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale

  ~they lose power on land or cold sea
• a tropical storm is a very powerful low pressure weather system that forms over warm ocean waters.It has strong winds, heavy rainfall and can be disruptive and dangerous
• Atlantic& Caribbean oceans-hurricanes

  Indian ocean & South Pacific Ocean-

  cyclones

  North Pacific Ocean-typhoons

  Australia- willie-willies
• hurricanes happen in the tropics-

  23.5* North- tropic of cancer

  23.5* Sourh- tropic of capricorn
• a hurricanes formation -

  ocean water warmer than 27*c which provides the energy and causes evaporation-forming clouds

  Winds coming together force air upwards.

  Winds flow outward & above the storm allowing the air to rise.

  Humid air rises and and makes cumulonimbus clouds.

  Light winds outside the hurricane steer it & let it grow.
• Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30.
• Hurricanes form in in late summer/early winter because the size of the ocean means that it takes a long time to warm up.
• condense-gas becoming liquid

  deppresion- an are of low pressure

  storm surge- rise in sea level due to low pressure
• The strongest winds are found at the edge of the eye where they meet the outer bands of the storm.
• condense-gas becoming liquid

  depression- area of low pressure

  storm surge- rise in sea level due to low pressure
• The coast is most dangerous during a hurricane because it is hit when the hurricane is most powerful, and also comes with a storm surge
• hurricanes cause more damage in poorer countrie (LEDC) because of less developed alarm systems, less safe& sturdy buildings and worse preparation. It also takes longer to rebuild due to poorer/ lack of infrastructure
• to fully describe the weather associated with a hurricane, a meteorologist will measure the temperature, the precipitation, the wind speed, the wind direction, the cloud type and the cloud cover
• Hurricanes are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with 1 being the least severe and 5 being the most severe
• The Saffir-Simpson scale was first developed in the 1960s by Herbert Saffir and later expanded in the early 1970s by Robert Simpson