Tropical storms Flashcards
Wind shear -
is when there is a big difference in temperature high up in atmosphere.
What scale is used to measure the size of a cyclone?
Saffir-Simpson Scale
Explain how tropical storms are formed.
Cold wind replaces hot air (which is released by the ocean that must have the temperature of 26 degrees) and hot air rises due to evaporation. As hot air rises - cloud banks are formed and then due to condensation rainfall is released. Due to wind shear the speed of the wind is very high, which makes cyclones/hurricanes/typhoons spin and rotate.
Eye with a very low pressure is always in the middle of tropical storm. It’s calm and nice in there.
Tropical storms always travel westwoods because the Earth spins westwoods.
Forecasting vs Prediction
Forecasting - think to happen
Prediction - it will happen
Cyclone Aila
It was formed in the Indian Ocean and hit Bangladesh, which is a developing country. They weren’t prepared and it lead to a disaster. Houses were destroyed, 339 people died, contamination of water by flooding. Loss of trees led to no fuel wood for cooking, floodwater broke the protecting wall, until protecting wall wasn’t rebuilt people couldn’t rebuild their houses. Salt water in the ground => no crops.
Management after tropical storms in developing countries
International Government Organisation(IGO) provided food, medicine and shelter.
World bank provided loans to a country.
Management before tropical storms in developed countries (Hurricane Irma that hit Florida)
GIS is used to predict and forecast hurricane. Satellite maps were used to measure the size of hurricane, cloud cover and rain distribution. Hurricane hunters were used to measure the speed of wind and pressure. Based on the collected data the government warned people who live in areas that are going to be hit by a hurricane. Also, they created evacuation routes, so people left those areas before hurricane arrived, which decreased the damage caused by the hurricane.
