The Challenge Of Natural Hazards - Weather Flashcards
Weather
The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time, including temperature, precipitation, humidity and wind speed
Climate
the weather conditions prevailing an area in general or over a long period
Insolation
The amount of solar radiation reaching a given area
Insolation
The amount of solar radiation reaching a given area
Latitude
The angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator
What factors affect a place’s climate?
Location - Latitude
Distance from sea
Insolation
Relief of Land
What does global atmospheric circulation do
Determine patterns of weather and climate
High Insolation occurs…
Low latitudes
Close to the equator
Rays are spread over smaller area and shorter distance
Low Insolation occurs…
At the poles
Rays are spread over larger area and longer distance
What are convection currents in the atmosphere
Warm air rises because it is less dense
Cool air sinks because it is more dense
How does air pressure vary in the atmosphere
Rising air creates low pressure
Sinking air creates high pressure
Particle move from high to low pressure
What is the order of cells in the global atmospheric circulation model
Polar cell
Ferrel Cell
Hadley Cell
Hadley Cell
Ferrel Cell
Polar Cell
What does wind do
Transports heat energy
Prevents the equator getting continually hotter and the poles getting continually colder
What is the global circulation of wind caused by
Heating at the Equator
Cooling at the poles
How does wind form
Air flows from high pressure to low pressure
What is the Coriolis effect
The spinning of the earth causes wind to deflect movement
Southern Hemisphere - clockwise
Northern hemisphere - Anti-clockwise
Tropical Storm
An area of low pressure with winds moving in a spiral around a calm central area, called the eye of the storm
Where are tropical storms found?
Areas of Low Latitude
5-30 degrees North and SOuth of the equator
Hurricanes
Atlantic Ocean
Cyclones
Indian Ocean
Typhoons
Pacific Ocean
What are the characteristics of a tropical storm
Direction of spin
Eye of Storm
Ring of clouds
How can we categorise tropical storms
Safire Simpson Scale
What are the conditions for Tropical storms
Sea temperature above 27* - Provides heat and moisture so air can rise
Low wind shear - constant and no vary in height of winds = clouds rise without being torn apart
30 degrees north and south of equator - Coriolis effect is strong enough for storm to spin
What is the formation of a tropical storm
- Warm air rises rapidly from the heat of the tropical oceans
- Strong winds form as rising air draws up air and moisture
- Rising air spins a calm eye of storm due to coriolis effect
- Rising air cools and condenses - forming large clouds and rainfall
- Heat is given odd as it cools - which powers the tropical storm
- Cold air sinks in the eye - clear, dry, calm
- Storm travels across ocean with the prevailing wind
- Storm reaches land and dissipates (Not enough evaporation or heat to power the storm)
How does climate change affect the distribution of tropical storms
Ocean temperatures increase
So More storms occur on a larger scale
How does climate change affect the Intensity of tropical storms
Temperature has increased
So more energy generated for stronger more intense storms
How does climate change affect the frequency of tropical storms
Increase temperature
There is more energy to fuel tropical storms
An increase in number of storms
Categories of Saffire Simpson scale (1-5)
1 - Damage to vegetation
2 - Damage to roofs, doors and windows
3 - Structural damage to buildings, storm surge
4 - Structural failure to buildings, extreme storm surge damage, flooding
5 - Catastrophic storm surge
Named example of a tropical storm
Typhoon Haiyan
Location of Typhoon Haiyan
South-East Asia
Travelled East-West across the Philippines
Travelled North-West out of Philippines
West Asia - 3 of Saffire Simpson scale
Time of Typhoon Haiyan
November 2013
7th November it reached land - 5 on saffire Simpson scale
Facts about the Philippines that show vulnerability
Densely populated
Population is distributed largely on the coast
Landslides disaster risk is high
Widespread poverty
Primary effects of Typhoon Haiyan
STORM SURGE
6,300 people killed - most drowned in storm surge
30,000 fishing boats destroyed
Buildings, power lines, crops destroyed
Secondary effects of Typhoon Haiyan
Flooding caused landslides - blocked roads and cut off air to remote communities
Transport services disrupted
Shortages of food/water/shelter - outbreaks of disease
1/3 of survivors homeless
Immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan
Over 1200 evacuation centres set up
Government responded with food aid, water and temporary shelters
Long term responses to Typhoon Haiyan
Rebuilding of roads, bridges and airport facilities
Aid agencies supported the replacement of fishing boats - main source of income
Cyclone shelters built to accommodate evacuated people
What affects the effectiveness of responses
Wealth
Population
Access to Resources
Monitoring and prediction
Tracking the course of a tropical storm using improved technology, allowing scientists to determine what course the storm is taking
Planning
Raising community awareness to reduce the effects of tropical storms
Protection
Designing building that will withstand tropical storms
Extreme Weather
When a weather event is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern, and is especially severe or unseasonal
Weather Hazards experienced in the UK
Drought
Heavy rain
Heatwaves
Extreme cold weather
Thunderstorms
High winds
Example of extreme weather events in the UK
Beast from the East
Location and Time of Beast from the East
February 2018
UK - leaving virtually no countries untouched
Characteristics of the Beast from the East
Syberian blast of snow
Extremely cold temperature
Strong winds
Cause of the Beast from the East
Northern Polar jet stream twisted direction and drew in air to the Uk from the east
What caused the bending of the Northern polar Jet stream
Increase in temperature of teh artic
Reversed the UK’s westerly winds to easterly
Air was picked up as moisture over the North Sea - huge amounts of snow to the UK
Primary effects of the Beast from the East
Gusts of 60-70 mph wind - Northern England and Wales
Rural areas = -12 degrees Celsius
Snow drifts were as high as 7m in places
Secondary effects of the Beast from the East
Some hospitals cancelled outpatient appointments
Thousands of schools were closed
Estimated 8,260 collisions in 3 days - insurance cost above 10 million
Responses to the Beast from the East
Red weather warning issued - advised to stay indoors
Councils sent out gritters and snow ploughs to clear the roads
Army and Royal Air Force personnel were called to transport key workers to work
