Chapter 12: Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

Hurricanes are located...

Tropical Storm occurring over the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific

Typhoons are located...

Tropical storm occurring over the extreme eastern Pacific

Cyclones are located...

Tropical storm that occurs over the Indian ocean and Australia.

Hurricane Dimensions..

74 mph and 350 miles wide
Sea level pressure: 950-870mb

How do hurricanes obtain energy?

Retain energy from latent heat released by condensation and are most common where deep layer of warm water fuels them

What are Hurricane prime months for the northern and southern hemispheres?

Northern: August and September
Southern: January to March

Eye of the Hurricane

Region of relatively clear skies, slowly descending air, and light winds.

Eye wall of hurricane

the zone of most intense storm activity with the strongest winds, thickest cloud cover and most intense precipitation.

How does a hurricane rotate?

Counterclockwise

Hot towers..

Embedded in some eye walls and last between 30 min and 2 hours. Localized portions of eye walls that rise up to great heights than the rest of the eye wall.

Tropical disturbances

Disorganized groups of thunderstorms having weak pressure gradients and little or no rotation.

Easterly Waves

large ripples in the normal trade wind pattern. (Atlantic Ocean)

Tropical depression

One closed isobar on a weather map when a tropical disturbance occurs

Tropical Storm

Occurs if tropical depression intensifies, maintaining winds above 60 km per hour

Hurricanes and tropical storms have a tendency to move which way?

North or northeast out of the tropics along the southeast coast of north america and move in wildly erratic ways

Storm Surge

a rise in water level induced by a hurricane. (Low atmospheric pressure contributes to this)

Hurricane watch

48 hour notification

Hurricane warning

36 hour warning

Saffir-Simpson Scale

classifies hurricanes into five categories,
With increasing numbers corresponding to lower central pressures, greater wind speeds, and larger storm surges