Weather Hazards

• How do tropical storms develop

  1. Sun sends incoming solar radiation to earth which warms our oceans
  2. Warms ocean to a critical 27 C
  3. Causes warm moist air to rise through the air in thermals. This gives low pressure at the centre of the storm
  4. Air cools as it rises at 1 C per 100 m. This causes condensation to occur, clouds to form and rain to occcur
  5. Some cool air sinks back down, helping to create the eye
  6. Air rushes in from high pressure areas outside of the storm to lower pressure areas at the centre of the storm creating winds
  7. Whole storm rotates because of earth's spin
• What will climate change increase

  • D istribution
  • F requency
  • I ntensity
• Distribution


  Over last few decades sea surface temperature in the tropics has increased by 0.25 - 0.5 C

  This means tropical storms will now affect larger areas

  For example Huricane Catarina (2004) sea temperature was unusually high and SE brazil was hit by a category 2 hurricane which was the first ever hurricane in this region
• Frequency


  They have been becoming less frequent but higher intensity
• Hurricane intensity


  Increased
• How can the impacts of a tropical storm be reduced

  • Levees
  • Storm proof pylons
  • Storm proof homes
  • Hurricane hunter
  • Hurricane risk map
  • Preparedness poster
• Levees


  Raised embankment along side of rivers, help to prevent flooding, very effective in case of storm surges

  Fairly cheap as made of dirt

  However not super strong like concrete and steel so if wave is bigger than expected it can be disastrous

  Also Ugly :(
• Storm-proof homes

  • Stilts - prevent damage from flooding and protect from storm surge
  • Steel and concrete - strong materials
  • Vegetation management - Ferns to absorb moisture from a storm surge and cut down tall unstable trees that could fall and hurt someone
  • Impact glass - reduce risk of shattering