Tropical Storms & Extreme Weather (uk) 🌪

Question 1

Describe the general atmospheric circulation model

Answer 1

Top and bottom: high pressure
Equator: low pressure
Tropic of Cancer & Capricorn: high pressure

Question 2

The weather cell

Answer 2

Hot air rises> air cools> cold air sinks> cool air replaces cold air

Question 3

Low pressure

Answer 3

If air is warm it expands and rises meaning it is less dense and we get clouds and rain

Question 4

High-pressure

Answer 4

Air is cold and sinks because it is more dense. We get good weather, no clouds the rain

Question 5

Structure of the hurricane from inside out

Answer 5

The eye> the eye wall> spiral rainbands

Question 6

The eye of the storm

Answer 6

Calm normal weather, clear skies

Question 7

Eye wall

Answer 7

Maximum wind speeds up to 225mph

Question 8

Spiral Rainbands

Answer 8

The outer edges of the hurricane, winds start from 70 mph with driving rain

Question 9

Conditions tropical storms need to form

Answer 9

1. Over oceans
2. Ocean temp over 26.5 degrees
3. Water heated to a depth of several metres

Question 10

What are tropical storms

Answer 10

Very intense areas of low pressure approximately 500 to 1000 km in diameter

Question 11

Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 11

Phillipines, south east asia and several towns such as Tacloban
3 Nov 2013- 11 Nov 2013
Category 5

Question 12

Haiyan: primary effects

Answer 12

6500 were killed
90% of Tacloban was destroyed
30,000 fishing boats destroyed
600,000 people displaced

Question 13

Haiyan: secondary effects

Answer 13

14 million effected
6 million lost their source of income
Flooding caused blocked roads and landslides
Some had no electricity for 1 month +
Shortage of water, shelter and food

Question 14

Haiyan: short term responses

Answer 14

12000+ evacuation centres were set up for homeless
Field hospitals
Phillipines Red Cross delivered basic food and water

Question 15

Haiyan: long term responses

Answer 15

‘Cash for work’ programmes were set up
Cyclone shelters built in costal areas
Thousands of homes built away from areas of flooding

Question 16

Weather

Answer 16

The day-to-day condition of the atmosphere-wet, windy, cloudy, warm, cold

Question 17

Climate

Answer 17

Based on the average weather conditions over 30 years +

Question 18

Uk weather?

Answer 18

Becomeing more extreme as extreme events are becoming more frequent

Question 19

When was the Beast from the East

Answer 19

Feb 28th - Mar 2nd 2018

Question 20

How many were killed in the beast from the east?

Answer 20

10

Question 21

What were the primary effects of the beast from the east

Answer 21

15- 20 cm of snow fell over the 3 days
Winds in excess of 70mph
Snow drifts in excess of 7m in rural areas
Hundreds stranded for up to 36hrs on the M80 and A roads in Devon
Crops damaged

Question 22

What were the secondary effects of the beast from the east

Answer 22

Uk issued a gas ‘deficit’ warning
NHS cancelled non urgent operations and clinics
Trains stranded on tracks overnight in Dorset
Thousands of homes without power
Schools closed for up to 3 days
Flights cancelled

Question 23

What were the short term responses of the beast from the east

Answer 23

Armed forces diploid to reduce drivers and drive nhs workers to work
Taxi firms offering to shop for elderly
Met office issued red weather warning to stop travel
Government asked businesses to reduce gas usage over the days
Red Cross issuing blankets to people stranded at Glasgow airport

Question 24

What were the long term responses of the beast from the east

Answer 24

Met office reviewed effectiveness of their warnings, finding them to be good

Question 25

When was the uk winter snowfall?

Answer 25

25th Nov - 9th Dec 2010

Question 26

What caused the winter snowfall of 2010

Answer 26

Blocking of high pressure over Greenland forcing the jet stream further south than normal

Question 27

What were the effects of the winter snowfall 2010

Answer 27

Businesses lost £1.2 billion per day due to lost sales
Road closures cost the economy £270 million a day
2 elderly people died
Thousands of homes left without water for days after pipes burst (300000 in Northern Ireland)
7000 schools across the country had to close

Question 28

What were the short term responses of the winter snowfall 2010

Answer 28

Met office issued amber and red warnings
M1 closed for 10hours
Gatwick and Edinburgh airports both closed on 1st Dec
Councils all over the country spread a total of 300000 tonnes of salt