TRS Flashcards
What are the criteria for a TRS to form?
- Location must be 5 - 25 deg from the equator
- Surface temp of water must be min 26 deg C through a depth of 20-50m
- Very little windsheer or the storm will be pulled apart
How and where do they start to form?
Starts in clusters of CB:s.
Forms and develops mostly on the eastern side of oceanic areas.
Which way and how fast do they move?
Moves west with the normal easterly flow at about 15 kts
What’s their initial energy source and how are they sustined?
The warm ocean is the initial source
Cloud formation that releases latent heat sustains them
What 3 types of TRS are there?
- Hurricanes. Around the SW and SE of USA from June to November
- Cyclons. In the Indian Ocean from November to April
- Typhoons. In the Pacific from July to September
What’s the min speed(mph) to be classified as a TRS?
74 mph
How many speed classes are there?
5
Where can the worst winds associated with a TRS be found?
Where the spiraling winds are travelling in the same direction as the storm itself.
And also in the eye walls
At what windspeed(kts) is a cyclon classified as a TRS?
34-47 kts
At what wind speeds(kts) are a TRS classified as Typhoon?
64-84 kts
What does most Pacific typhoons form from?
About 85 to 90percent of Pacific typhoons form within the monsoon trough
What wind direction can be expected over Hong Kong depending on from which direction the TRS hit?
From the west:
As winds of a tropical cyclone rotate in an
anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere, prevailing winds are usually southeasterlies and thus stronger when a tropical cyclone lands to the west of Hong Kong.
From the East:
In contrast, relatively weaker northwesterly winds will prevail when a tropical cyclone makes landfall to the east of Hong Kong.
From which direction does the most severe TRS approch Hong Kong?
From the west. When a tropical cyclone lands to the west of Hong Kong, prevailing southeasterly winds will push on the sea surface and pile up sea water over the coast.
If there was a Typhoon over Singapore, would you be surpised?
Yes, since most typhoons rarely form that close to the to the equator
