Download Weather and Climate Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg 80-89 - Parkway C-2

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Date
Weather and Climate
Topic
Class/Subject
Chapter 3, Section 2 (pg 80-89)
Storms
What is a thunderstorm
and how does it form?
A thunderstorm is a small storm often accompanied by heavy
precipitation and frequent thunder and lightning. Thunderstorms
form in large cumulonimbus clouds on hot, humid afternoons or
when warm air is forced upward along a cold front.
What is lightning and what Lightning is a sudden spark, or electrical discharge, as positive
causes it?
and negative charges that have built up in storm clouds jump
between parts of a cloud, between nearby clouds, or between a
cloud and the ground.
What causes thunder?
A lightning bolt can heat the air near it to as much as 30,000°C.
The rapidly heated air expands suddenly and explosively.
Thunder is the sound of the explosion.
What kind of damage can
a thunderstorm cause?
Heavy rains can cause flooding. Lightning can shatter tree
trunks or start forest fires, and can cause unconsciousness,
serious burns, or even heart failure if it strikes people or animals.
How do floods occur?
Floods occur when so much water pours into a stream or river
that its banks overflow, covering the surrounding land. In urban
areas, floods can occur when the ground is already saturated by
heavy rains. A flash flood is a sudden, violent flood that occurs
shortly after a storm.
What kind of safety
precautions can you take
for thunderstorms?
During thunderstorms, avoid places where lightning may strike.
Also avoid objects that can conduct electricity, such as metal
objects and bodies of water.
What is a tornado?
A tornado is a rapidly whirling, funnel-shaped cloud that reaches
down from a storm cloud to touch Earth’s surface.
How do tornadoes form?
Tornadoes most commonly develop in thick cumulonimbus
clouds – the same clouds that bring thunderstorms.
What is a “tornado alley”?
A “tornado alley” is an area where tornadoes tend to occur more
frequently because of normal weather patterns.
What kind of damage do
tornadoes cause?
Tornado damage comes from both strong winds and flying
debris. The low pressure inside the tornado sucks dust and
other objects into the funnel. Tornadoes can move large objects
and scatter debris many miles away.
What kind of safety
precautions can you take
for tornadoes?
A tornado “watch” indicates that a tornado is possible in the area.
A tornado “warning” indicates that a tornado has been spotted.
The safest place to be during a tornado is in a storm shelter or
the basement of a well-built building.
What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone that has winds of 119 km/hr or
higher.
How do hurricanes form?
A hurricane begins over warm ocean water as a low-pressure
area, or tropical disturbance. If the tropical disturbance grows in
size and strength, it becomes a tropical storm, which may then
become a hurricane.
How do hurricanes move?
Hurricanes that form in the Atlantic Ocean are steered by
easterly trade winds toward the Caribbean islands and
southeastern United States. After a hurricane passes over land,
it no longer has warm, moist air to draw energy from and
gradually loses its strength.
What kind of damage do
hurricanes cause?
When a hurricane comes ashore, it brings high waves and
severe flooding as well as wind damage. A storm surge, “dome”
of water, sweeps across the coast where the hurricane lands,
washing away beaches, destroying buildings, and eroding
coastlines.
What kind of safety
precautions can you take
for hurricanes?
A “hurricane watch” indicates that hurricane conditions are
possible in an area within the next 36 hours and you should be
prepared to evacuate. A “hurricane warning” means that
hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours and you
should evacuate immediately.
What is the difference
between a winter storm
and any other storm?
All year round, most precipitation begins in the clouds as snow.
If the air is colder than 0°C all the way to the gr ound, the
precipitation falls as snow.
What is lake-effect snow?
As cold dry air moves across the warmer water, it becomes more
humid as water vapor evaporates from the lake surface. When
the air reaches land and cools, lake-effect snow falls.
What kind of safety
precautions can you take
for snowstorms?
If you are caught in a snowstorm, try to find shelter from the wind
because blowing limits your vision and makes it easy to get lost,
and strong winds cool a person’s body rapidly.
Summary
Thunderstorms form in large cumulonimbus clouds, also known as thunderheads. Tornadoes
most commonly develop in thick cumulonimbus clouds – the same clouds that bring
thunderstorms. A hurricane begins over warm ocean water as a low-pressure area, or
tropical disturbance. All year round, most precipitation begins in clouds as snow. No matter
what the type of storm, storms can cause damage, and safety precautions must be taken.