WEATHER

• Hurricane

  Start in Atlantic, move towards Caribbean and USA, north of the equator
• Cyclone

  Start in Indian ocean, move towards eastern Africa, Madagascar, and middle east
• Typhoon

  Start in pacific ocean, more towards western Asia and Australasia
• How tropical storms form

  1. Strong upward movements of air draws water vapour up off of water surface (27C)

  2. Air cools and condenses to form storms

  3. Air releases heat hovering the storm and cycle

  4. Smaller storms join into it

  5. Once wind speeds reach 75mph it becomes a tropical storm

  6. Eye and eye walls develop

  7. Once storm reaches land energy supply is cut off and it calms down
• Effects of Typhoon Haiyan

  • 90% of houses in Tacloban area were destroyed - 220000 inhabitant left homeless
  • Over 400mm of rain caused flooding - Landslide blocked roads cutting off aid
  • Strong winds destroyed power lines, crops, and houses - No power for a month in some areas
  • Tacloban airport damaged - Difficulty for aid to get there
  • Destroyed 30000 fishing boats and 33 million coconut trees - No supply of income - Shortages of food - disease outbreaks
  • Unable to access remote areas - No aid given - Crime broke out
• Immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan

  • International aid for food, water, shelter, and rescue
  • International aid set up hospitals and gave out shelter kits
  • The Philippines Red Cross delivered basic aid
  • 1200 evacuation centres were set up
• Long term responses to Typhoon Haiyan

  • UN donated financial aid and supported communities
  • More homes and typhoon shelters built
  • "cash for work" got debris cleared and money in pockets
  • Farming re-established
  • Oxfam donated fishing boats
• Causes for high death toll in tropical storms

  • High storm surge
  • Coastal settlements
  • Poor communication
  • Remote towns
  • Lack of high ground
  • High population density
  • Lack of remote phone signal
  • Road blockages, landslides
  • Lack of electricity
  • Light weight building materials
• Planning for tropical storms

  • Awareness campaigns - teach people dangers
  • Encouraging communities to develop hurricane plans
  • Preparing supply kits, fuelled vehicles, storm centre location
• Protection from tropical storms

  • Windows, doors and roofs reinforced to withstand strong winds
  • Storm drains constructed in urban areas - remove excess water
  • Sea walls - protect key properties from storm surge
  • Houses near coast on stilts
  • Storm shelters with such features
• Monitoring tropical storms

  • Satellites monitor clouds which could form tropical storms
  • Aircraft can collect data
  • NASA unmanned aircraft do this
• Predicting tropical storms

  • 2013 - NOAA make supercomputers, predicting paths 5 days
  • National Hurricane Centre predict storm intensity and path
  • 2013 - Cyclone Phalin was successfully predicted 21 million people were evacuated, only 42 total deaths
• Causes:


  - A polar vortex of cold air from siberia blew across europe

  - Windspeeds exceeded 70mph
• Effects of heavy snowfall

  • 10 to 20cm of snow in three days
  • Hundreds of people became stranded as roads became inpassable
  • Snow drifts in excess of 7 meters blocked roads
  • UK was issued with a gas defecit warning
  • Met office issues red warning to prevent unnecessary travel
• Responses to heavy snowfall

  • 10 deaths
  • Thousands of schools closed for more than one day
  • Red corss issued blankets stranded in glasgow airport
  • Armed forces used to rescue stranded drivers
• Maritime – air traveling over water before arriving
• Continental – air traveling over land before arriving
• Air mass – a large chunk of air that develops characteristics due to its origin
• Thunderstorms – heavy rain, lightning, strong winds – lightning can cause death, fires ruin property
• Rain – can cause flooding – puts people and property at risk, causes transport damage
• Snow and ice – can cause injury – schools and businesses may close, crops ruined
• Hailstorms – damage crops, property damage, dangerous driving
• Wind – uproot trees, destroy property – flying debris can kill, falling trees pose threat
• Drought – water supplies may run low – crop failure – hose pipe ban
• Heatwaves – death from breathing difficulty or heat exhaustion – roads can melt, disrupt transport – tourism benefit
• Hot air rises, cold air falls - creates convection - areas of high and low pressure

  
• Eye walls - Storm Eye - all circling