Content Curator
Hurricanes are enormous swaths of water that develop across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They are fast rotating low pressure, fierce winds, and spiral configurations of thunderstorms cause rainfalls. The warm sea near the equator leads to the formation of hurricanes. These hurricanes are also known as tropical cyclones or typhoons. The term "tropical" refers to the geographical origins found near tropical oceans. The swirling winds surrounding a cyclone's centre eye are also known as winds travelling in circular directions in the seas or oceans.
| Table of Content |
Key Takeaways: Temperature, Storms, Equators, Tropical cyclone, Coriolosis effect, Atlantic
What is a Hurricane?
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
Hurricanes are massive storms with spinning winds of up to 74 miles per hour. The tropics' warm water is buffeted by a spinning wind that blows with alarming ferocity. This force crashes ashore, wreaking havoc and killing people. Hurricanes continue longer and can cover an area of up to 500000 square miles. The Saffir-Simpson scale is a hurricane wind scale that ranges from 1 to 5 or category A based on hurricane winds. The higher the hurricane's category, the more devastating it is.
Hurricanes
How do Hurricanes Form?
Hurricanes usually occur around the equator, over warm ocean water. When the oceans reach their hottest temperature, and the air above them gets laden with moisture, the waves form. Hurricanes are most common between the latitudes of 5 and 15 degrees north and south of the equator. A storm requires the following environmental conditions: warm ocean waters (at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit/27 degrees Celsius); an unstable environment caused by temperature variations, where the temperature drops as one rise in altitude; near the mid-level of the atmosphere; moist air must be at least 200 miles north or south of the equator to spin (due to the Coriolis effect); change in the wind speed or the direction with height.
Stages of Hurricanes
Hurricanes go through a series of stages throughout their growth to become what they are. The phases of development that a storm goes through are listed below:
- Tropical Disturbance is a conglomeration of thunderstorms that arise in the tropics, last for 24 hours and are accompanied by torrential rain and strong gusts.
- A tropical wave is a trough of low pressure that moves westward with the trade winds.
- Tropical Cyclone is any organized low-pressure system that forms over tropical and sometimes subtropical oceans.
- A tropical depression is a well-organized low-pressure region with sustained winds of 38 mph or less.
- A tropical storm with sustained winds of at least 74 mph is classified as a hurricane.
- A tropical storm is a type of tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 39-73 miles per hour.
Safety Measures against Hurricanes
To avoid the potential harm caused by hurricanes measures are to be taken by the individuals themselves:
- Keep the phone numbers for the police, ambulance, and fire department on hand in case of an emergency.
- Keep a record of all the Meteorological Department's warnings.
- Avoid contacting electric cables and switches.
- If you are staying in a safe place, do not move out unless it is necessary.
- Make your way to a secure location.
- Assist your neighbors and friends.
- Keep sanitary drinking water on hand.
Measures to be taken by the government
- Providing timely and accurate cyclone predictions and alerts.
- Providing cyclone information and warnings to people, fishers, ships, ports, and airlines, among other things.
- Building storm shelters in cyclone-prone locations.
- Making plans to remove people in the event of a hurricane.
Difference between Hurricanes and Typhoon
[Click Here for Sample Questions]
Tropical cyclones include hurricanes and typhoons. If a cyclone has a speed of 39 miles per hour or less, then it is classified as a tropical storm; however, if the same cyclone has a speed of more than 39 miles per hour and reaches 76 miles per hour or more, it is classified as a hurricane with the potential to destroy many things. On the other hand, a cyclone or typhoon is less harmful. The reason behind it is a cyclone has a limited supply of warm water current, whereas a hurricane has a constant flow of warm water to the clouds.
Things to Remember
- A hurricane is a powerful tropical storm that forms over enormous water bodies, especially in tropical or subtropical waters.
- The Saffir-Simpson scale, which is based on hurricane winds and goes from 1 to 5, or category A, is a hurricane wind scale.
- The winds blow in an anti-clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere.
- Due to the Coriolis effect, winds travel in the opposite direction.
- Tropical cyclones occur in warm water or vast bodies of water.
- They obtain energy from the evaporation of water on the ocean's surface, which condenses into clouds and rain when wet air rises and cools.
Sample Questions
Ques: How are cyclones formed? (2 marks)
Ans: Tropical cyclones are formed at the equator over warm ocean waters. When warm and wet air over the ocean's surface rises upward, it forms a cyclone. A low-pressure zone forms beneath the ocean as air rises away from the surface. It allows air from higher-pressure areas to flow toward the low-pressure area, warming it and driving it to rise above it.
Ques: When does the hurricane season in the Atlantic begin? What are the locations in India that are prone to hurricanes? (2 marks)
Ans: The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1st. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, cyclones, and landslides are common in India. The Meteorological Department reports that 13 Indian coastal states and union territories are vulnerable to hurricanes. West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu are at peril and one union territory on the east coast- Pondicherry, and one on the west coast, Gujarat.
Question: What is a typical hurricane season? (1 mark)
Answer: An average hurricane brings 10.6 tropical storms. Two of the storms became significant hurricanes (category three or higher), while the other six became hurricanes merely.
Ques: When was the hurricane the most active and least active? (2 marks)
Ans: With 21 records, 1933 is the year with the most hurricanes, but 28 storms in 2005 shattered the record. The first six strokes were called alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, and zeta in Greek, whereas the last six were called alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, and zeta in English. There were just four storms in 1983, the year with the least number of storms. However, in the year 1982, there were just two storms.
Ques: Give an example of a cyclone that hit a portion of India and the extent of the damage it caused. (2 marks)
Ans: On 18th October 1999, a cyclone struck Orissa. The wind gusted to 200 km/h, destroying 45000 homes, and displacing 700,000 people. On 29th October, another cyclone struck Odisha with a speed of 260 km/h. Thousands of people died, and millions of rupees worth of property were damaged.
Ques: Is there a difference between hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons? (2 marks)
Ans: Hurricanes and typhoons are examples of tropical cyclones. A cyclone is classed as a tropical storm if it has a speed of 39 miles per hour or less; however, if it has a speed of more than 39 miles per hour and reaches 76 miles per hour or more, it is classified as a hurricane, which can damage many things. A cyclone or typhoon, on the other hand, is less dangerous. A cyclone has a limited supply of warm water current, but a hurricane has a continuous flow of warm water to the clouds.
Ques: Explain the stages of hurricanes. (5 marks)
Ans: Hurricanes go through a variety of stages as they develop.
- A tropical Disturbance is a swarm of thunderstorms that develops in the tropics. They usually last 24 hours and are accompanied by heavy rain and high winds.
- A tropical wave is a low-pressure trough that flows west with the trade winds.
- A tropical depression is a low-pressure area that has sustained winds of 38 mph or less.
- A hurricane is defined as a tropical storm with sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
- A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that has sustained winds between 39 and 73 miles per hour.
Ques: What methods may be used to forecast cyclones? (1 mark)
Ans: Tropical cyclones are tracked using contemporary technology such as satellites, weather radars, and computers by meteorologists all around the world.
Ques: What causes the tropical cyclones? What are the consequences of such cyclones? (4 marks)
Ans: In the tropical zone near the equator, the sun heats the surface of the water bodies. This change in the temperature causes movements in the air. As a result of the pressure fluctuations, tropical cyclones develop. Tropical cyclones bring torrential rain and landslides. They do a lot of harm to cities and communities. They also ruin coastal businesses such as docks and oil wells. These storms do significant harm to human communities when they blow from afar. They devastate a large number of crops and forests. They disrupt civilian life in general, especially when electricity and telephone connections are disrupted. Tornadoes are frequently caused by these cyclones, which can result in flooding. They wreak significant harm not just to property but also to people's lives. Institutions of the state are being dismantled.
Comments