Weather hazards

Question 1

Where are tropical storms found?

Answer 1

Either side of the equator, between 5° and 20° north and south

NOT ON THE EQUATOR

Question 2

Define a tropical storm

Answer 2

Tropical storms are intense low pressure systems formed over tropical waters.

Question 3

When are tropical storms most common?

Answer 3

Mid-august to october

Question 4

What weather conditions do tropical storms bring?

Answer 4

Really strong winds and torrential rain.

Question 5

How fast does the wind have to be to be classified as a hurricane?

Answer 5

74mph

Question 6

What does the Saffir-Simpson scale measure?

Why isn’t this always that helpful in measuring potential damage?

Answer 6

It measures wind speed and potential damage.
1-5 scale.

Not always helpful because if the place is near the sea there may be storm surges, the Simpson scale can’t measure a storm surge which creates the damage.

Question 7

What happens when a hurricane hits land?

Answer 7

Looses all of its energy as it gains its energy from the warm water in the sea.

Question 8

Can we predict storms?

Answer 8

No, but we can predict its path.

Question 9

What 3 things does a tropical storm need?

Answer 9

1. Low pressure
2. Warm water 27°C +
3. Coriolis effect

Question 10

Which way does the wind bend in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer 10

Wind bends to the right.

Question 11

Which way does the wind bend in the Southern Hemisphere?

Answer 11

Wind bends to the left.

Question 12

What happens to warm air?

Answer 12

It rises.

Question 13

What happens to cold air?

Answer 13

It sinks.

Question 14

What happens to the temperature of warm air when it rises?

Answer 14

It cools by 1°C every 100m.

Question 15

What processes happen to the warm air when it rises?

Answer 15

It cools, condenses, forms clouds and rains.

Question 16

When air rises what happens to the air pressure?

Answer 16

It decreases.

Question 17

When air sinks what happens to the air pressure?

Answer 17

It increases.

Question 18

Can it rain when there is high pressure?

Answer 18

No.

Question 19

Surface winds blow from…?

Answer 19

High to low pressure.

Question 20

What are high altitude winds called?

Answer 20

Jet streams.

Question 21

What happens when air sinks?

Answer 21

Nothing, there will be no clouds, it will be dry.

Question 22

Describe the Coriolis effect.

Answer 22

Winds blow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.

As the earth rotates, it causes the winds to bend.

This is known as the Coriolis effect.

Question 23

Describe the 6 stages of a hurricane forming.

Answer 23

1. Hurricanes draw their energy from warm seas and can only occur over very warm water, 27° or more.
2. Because the surface water is very warm it evaporates, rises and condenses into storm clouds.
3. The rising air creates low pressure which pulls surface winds in from the edges of the storm.
4. Where “vertical wind shear” is low, the clouds are prevented from breaking up as they rise. (vertical wind shear is the change in direction and speed of winds at increasing heights in the atmosphere)
5. The storm spins because of the Coriolis effect.
6. As the storm moves over the ocean the energy from the warm water strengthens the storm so the wind speeds increase.

Question 24

Why does a tropical storm die out?

There are 2 reasons.

Answer 24

1. When they hit cold water they lose their energy source (from the warm ocean water) and so begin to die out.
2. As they pass over land friction slows them down.

Question 25

Give some background information for Typhoon Haiyan.

Answer 25

Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on the 8th of November 2023. It was category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. This is one of the most powerful to ever hit the Philippines.

Wind speeds up to 314 kilometres per hour, waves as high as 15m and 400 millimetres of heavy rainfall flooded 1 kilometre inland.

90% of Tacloban was destroyed.

Question 26

Give some social, economic and environmental PRIMARY effects of Typhoon Haiyan.

clue: there are 7, accept 4 or more

Answer 26

• 50% of houses were destroyed.
• 4.1 million made homeless.
• Over 6,000 people died.
• US $12 billion of damage.
• Damage to rice cost US $53 million.
  -1.1 million tonnes of crops were destroyed.
• 75% of farmers and fishermen lost their jobs

Question 27

Give some social, economic and environmental SECONDARY effects of Typhoon Haiyan.

clue: there are 5, accept 3 or more

Answer 27

• Infection and diseases spread due to contaminated surface and ground water.
• Many schools were destroyed, affecting peoples education.
• By 2014 rice prices had risen by nearly 12%.
• 10 hectares of mangroves were contaminated by the oil barge leak.
• Oil barge leak also effected the fishing industry due to contaminated water and dead fish.

Question 28

Give 3 IMMEDIATE responses to Typhoon Haiyan.

State whether they are M+P
planning
or protection

Answer 28

1. Government televised a warning for people to prepare and evacuate. (M+P)
2. 1,200 evacuation centres were set up to help the homeless (protection)
3. Emergency aid supplies arrived 3 days later by plane. Within 2 weeks over 1 million food packs and 250,000 litres of water were distributed (planning)

Question 29

Give 3 LONG TERM responses to Typhoon Haiyan.

Answer 29

1. Oxfam replaced fishing boats.
2. In July 2014 the government declared a long term recovery plan ‘Build Back Better’.
3. A ‘Cash for Work’ programme paid people to clear debris and rebuild the city.

Question 30

List some extreme weather hazards in the UK.

Answer 30

Droughts
Heatwaves
Flooding
High wind
Snow and Ice
Hail
Fog

Question 31

Give some information about the ‘beast from the East’

Answer 31

In 2018 the ‘beast from the East’ led to 50cm of snow in areas such as Dartmoor and Exmoor.

Some rural areas experienced lows of -12°C

The extreme cold led to the snow remaining for many days, and strong winds of 60-70mph caused snow drifts as high as 7m.

Question 32

How much did the ‘beast from the East’ cost the UK and why.

Answer 32

Cost the UK economy at least £1 billion a day due to road clearing, accidents but mainly the fact that people couldn’t work so businesses had to close.

Question 33

Give 3 social effects of UK weather hazards.

Answer 33

Inability to travel- limits education.
Freezing pipes- stops water and heating.
Damage to buildings.

All of these things decrease the quality of life.

Question 34

Give 3 economic effects of UK weather hazards

Answer 34

Energy bills to heat or cool your house.
Businesses are forced to close.
Repairs to housing- replacing property.

Question 35

Give some evidence that in the UK weather is more extreme.

Answer 35

In 2012 we had the wettest June for 150 years.

In 2022 we had a new temperature high in the UK of over 40 degrees.

Question 36

Give some evidence that in the UK extreme weather is more frequent.

Answer 36

In 2021-22 we had 10 recorded storms in just 4 months.