Tropical Storms and Climate Change

Definition: Tropical storms are intense low pressure weather systems characterized by heavy rain and strong winds spiraling around a central eye.
Common Names: They are referred to as hurricanes, typhoons, or cyclones depending on the region.

Conditions for Formation:
- Requires sea temperature of 27 °C or higher.
- Occurs between 5° and 30° north and south of the equator.
- Low wind shear in the atmosphere.
Process of Development:
- Warm surface water evaporates, rises, and condenses into clouds releasing large amounts of energy.
- Rising air creates an area of low pressure, increasing surface winds.
- Tropical storms are pushed towards the west by easterly winds.
Coriolis Effect:
- The storms spin due to the Coriolis effect, caused by the Earth’s rotation.
Energy Source:
- Wind speeds increase as storms move over warm water. They weaken over land or cooler water due to a loss of energy.
Seasonality:
- Most storms occur in the northern hemisphere from August to October; in the southern hemisphere, they occur from December to April.

Characteristics:
- High wind speeds can exceed 250 ext{ km/h}.
- Cause significant damage to buildings, vegetation, and can transport loose objects.

**Heavy Precipitation: **
- Tropical storms can bring immense amounts of rain rapidly, leading to flooding.
Mechanism:
- Warm, moist air is drawn into the storm, rising and cooling, releasing rain as it condenses.
Consequences:
- Can result in extensive flooding and landslides.

Distribution: Most occur between 5° and 30° latitudes. Fewer storms form closer to the equator due to insufficient warm water.
Frequency Trends:
- Storm frequency varies annually; an increase observed in the Atlantic since 1984, but no significant trend over the last 130 years.

Details:
- Made landfall in the Philippines on November 8, 2013; winds reached 314 ext{ km/h}.
- Severe rain and a storm surge caused waves up to 5 ext{ m}.
Primary Effects:
- 8000 people died, over 1 ext{ million} homes destroyed, heavy flooding over 600 ext{ 000 hectares}.
Secondary Effects:
- Landslides blocked roads, businesses destroyed leading to $5.6 ext{ million}$ workers jobless, disease outbreaks due to contaminated water.

Warnings: PAGASA warned 2 days prior, evacuating 800,000 residents.
Emergency Declarations: The Philippines declared a state of emergency enabling aid to flow.
International Help: Charities provided food, shelter, and sanitation facilities.

UN Appeal: More than 300 ext{ million} sought for rebuilding efforts.
Reconstruction of Homes: Charities built hurricane-resistant houses.
Tourism Promotion: Encouraged visits to unaffected areas to aid economic recovery.

Global Temperature Increase: Average sea surface temperatures increased by 0.9 °C since 1880, leading to more powerful storms.
Forecast Changes in Storms: Rising sea temperatures may allow storms to form in new areas or increase their frequency and intensity.

Diverse weather hazards include strong winds, heavy rainfall, droughts, and heatwaves, impacting economies and infrastructure.

Prediction and Monitoring: Utilizing technology to predict paths and allow for timely evacuations.
Planning and Design: Buildings constructed to withstand storms, flood defences installed, communities trained for emergency responses to improve preparedness.

Understanding the mechanisms and consequences of tropical storms is crucial for risk management and disaster preparedness, especially in regions prone to such severe weather events.