Tropical Storms

• A storm surge is the rapid rise in sea level which water is piled up against a coastline to a level far in excess of the normal conditions at high tide. This is as a result of low pressure
• America=Hurricanes

  East Asia=Typhoons

  West Asia=Cyclones

  Australia=Willy willy's
• Surface sea temperature must be 26.5+ degrees Celsius

  The occur 5-15 degrees north or south of the equator

  Depth of the water must be up to 70m
• Storms move pole-wards as this way there is less resistance from the Coriolis effect and due to the spherical shape of the earth. They also move west due to the rotation of the earth.
• Northern Hemisphere= winds spin anti-clockwise

  Southern Hemisphere= winds spin clockwise
• Storms tend to form in the late summer months. The specific months differ depending on whether it is in the northern or southern hemisphere.
• Dissipate is when the storm loses energy when reaching land or going over a cold body of water
• Tropical storms have high winds, storm surges and heavy rain
• The water must have a depth of 60-70m so that cold water cannot be stirred from underneath. Warm water provides moisture and energy
• When forming, two winds come together and rise upwards. The warm moist air from the water adds to this and encourages the air to rise. Cold air mass is pulled into the storm, which is what causes the spiral movement.
• Storm surges: In low pressure the sea level rises and spirals and a ripple of wave follows the head of low pressure, which pushes the body of water ahead of it.
• Tropical storms are more predictable and therefore easier to prepare for: Met Office, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Though we know their origin, we cannot predict the exact path of a storm, so they are erratic
• To make the response efficient, there needs to be a : proactive government, development (scientific research and infrastructure), non-fatalistic attitudes.
• Fatalistic attitudes are more common in deprived communities and LICs
• They have an 85% predictability