Weather Hazard Flashcards
What is a Weather Hazard?
A weather hazard is an extreme weather event that threatens people or property.
Hadley Cell
Warm air rises at the equator, causing rainforests. 🌴
Ferrel Cell
Cooler air sinks, causing deserts. 🏜️
Polar Cell
Cold air sinks at the poles. ❄️
What are Tropical Storms?
🌊 Massive storms with strong winds and heavy rain.
📍 Form over warm oceans (27°C+), near the Equator.
🌪️ Rotate because of the Coriolis Effect.
💨 Get stronger over warm water, but weaken over land.
Impacts of Tropical Storms
✔ Primary Effects (Immediate) – Flooding, roofs blown off, trees fall.
✔ Secondary Effects (Later Impacts) – Disease from dirty water, no electricity, businesses shut down.
How to Reduce the Impact of Tropical Storms?
✔ Monitoring & Prediction – Satellites track storms.
✔ Protection – Houses on stilts, sea walls.
✔ Planning – Evacuation routes, emergency supplies ready.
Types of UK Extreme Weather
❄️ Heavy snow & ice – Transport stops, crops die.
🌧️ Flooding – Caused by heavy rain, storms, or melting snow.
💨 Strong winds – Trees fall, power cuts.
🔥 Heatwaves – Water shortages, drought.
Managing Climate Change
🌳 Mitigation (Stopping It) – Renewable energy, planting trees.
🏡 Adaptation (Living With It) – Flood defences, drought-resistant crops.
How Does Air Sink? 🌬️⬇️
Air sinks when it cools down and becomes heavier (denser).
🔹 Warm air rises because it is lighter and has more energy.
🔹 As it rises, it cools and loses energy.
🔹 Cooler air becomes denser and starts to sink.
This happens in high-pressure areas, like:
✔ 30° North & South of the Equator → Creates deserts (dry air sinks). 🏜️
✔ Poles (North & South) → Cold air sinks at the poles, forming high-pressure areas. ❄️
What type of pressure is found at the Equator?
Q abt hadley cell
Low pressure
Where does the air sink in the Hadley Cell?
Around 30° north and south of the Equator
Explain how global atmospheric circulation affects weather at the Equator and 30° north and south.
Rising air at Equator → low pressure → rain
Sinking air at 30° → high pressure → dry
What is a Hadley Cell?
Hadley cells are giant loops of air that move between the Equator and 30° North/South.
How does hadley cell work?
Warm air rises at the Equator because it gets heated by the sun.
This air moves toward the poles, cools down, and sinks at 30° N/S.
The air then moves back towards the Equator at the surface.
Why are Hadley cells important?
They explain why the Equator has tropical rainforests (rising air causes rain) and 30° N/S has deserts (sinking air causes dryness).
What weather do Hadley cells cause?
Tropical rainforests near the Equator (wet) and deserts at 30° N/S (dry).
Where are Hadley cells located?
They occur between the Equator and 30° North and South latitudes.
What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)?
It’s a low-pressure area at the Equator where warm air rises, leading to frequent rainfall and tropical climates.
What are trade winds?
Surface winds that blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, caused by the movement of air in the Hadley cells.
What type of climate is found at 30° North/South latitude?
Desert climate, due to sinking dry air and high-pressure systems.
Where are tropical rainforests found?
Near the Equator (0°), due to rising air that causes rainfall.
where are dry cimates foind?
Around 30° N/S due to sinking air creating dry, clear conditions.
