Mid Latitude Cyclones Flashcards
What is mid latitude cyclone?
A cell of low pressure containing a warm front and a cold front , bringing rain in winter to the western Cape
Where does a mid latitude cyclone occur?
In the middle, or temperate , latitudes or outside the tropics
What are mid-latitude cyclones also referred to as ?
Temperate cyclones or extra-tropical cyclones
What can a low pressure also be referred to as ?
Depressions
Terms to describe a mid-latitude cyclones
Temperate cyclone
Extra-tropical cyclones
Temperate depressions
Frontal depressions
Lifespan of a mid-latitude cyclone
4-14 days
Speed of mid-latitude cyclone
30-50km/hr
Direction of mid-latitude cyclones
West-east
Diameter of the whole mid-latitude cyclone system
Up to 3000km
Pattern of isobars of mid latitude cyclone
Oval shaped
Pressure gradient
Not normally steep
Where do mid-latitude cyclones form ?
At the polar fronts
Where is the polar front found?
Between latitudes 40 degrees and 60 degrees north and south
When are mid-latitude cyclones found closer to 40 degrees south in the Southern Hemisphere
When the thermal equator is north of the equator
When is the mid-latitude cyclones found closer to 60 degrees?
When the thermal equator is further south
