Tropical storms

Tropical storms

What is a tropical storm?
1. A tropical storm is a huge storm that develops in the Tropics.
2. Tropical storms are incredibly powerful and can cause devastation to small islands and coastal regions.
Where do tropical storms form?
1. Tropical storms over warm oceans ( above 27'C ), which explains why they are found in the Tropics.
2. They form in the summer and autumn when sea temperatures are at their highest.
3. Most tropical storms form 5-15' north and south of the Equator. This is because at the Equator there is not enough 'spin' from the rotation of the Earth. A tropical storm is a spinning mass of clouds.
4. The intense heat makes the air unstable causing it to rise rapidly.
How do tropical storms form?
1. 1. A strong upward movemnt of air draws water vapour up from the warm ocean surface.
  1. 2. This evaporated air cools as it rises and condenses to form towering thunderstorm clouds.
  2. 3. As the air condenses it releases heat which powers the storm and draws up more and more water from the ocean.
  3. 4. Several other thunderstorms join together to form a giant spinning storm. When the winds reach an average of 120km per hour the storm officially becomes a tropical storm.
  4. 5. On reaching land the storm's energy supply ( evaporated water ) is cut off. Friction with the land slows it down and it begins to weaken.

Resource summary

	Created by Brandon Spendlove about 7 years ago