Weather Flashcards
Weather definition
Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given time
Weather stations gather data on
Atmospheric pressure
Temp
Precipitation
Wind direction + speed
Humidity
Sunshine
Atmospheric pressure
The weight of the atmosphere pushing down on the earth
Measured with a barometer
Lines used in weather map to display atmospheric pressure called isobarrs
Temp
Measures in °C with thermometer
Max + min thermometer used in weather stations
Precipitation
A rain gauge is used to measure precipitation in ml
Westcoast is close to the Atlantic so it has heavier rainfall
Wind direction + speed
Wind vane-indicates the direction of the wind
Anemometer-strenght of wind measured in km/h
Humidity
Amount of water vapour in the air
Measured with a hygrometer expressed in percentage
When the air is saturated it can’t hold any more water
Sunshine
A Campbell Stokes recorder measures the hours of sunshine in a day
Severe weather
A weather event that is significantly different from regular weather + can cause damage/put people in danger
How hurricanes form
Hurricanes form over tropical oceans
Warm moist air condenses and releases heat, powering the storm
Labeled as tropical storm @ 120km/h
Storms join together + grow
Storm develops an eye in the middle
Carried across the ocean by wind getting stronger
Friction with land weakens the storm
Scale used measure hurricanes
Saffir-Simpson scale
Hurricane Matthew - Economic impacts
$1.9 damage in Haiti
Flights disrupted
Schools + businesses shut down
Hurricane Matthew - Social impacts
586 deaths in Haiti
Cholera outbreak from contaminated water
Crop destruction - food shortage
200,000 homes destroyed
Hurricane Matthew - Short term aid
Shelter
Food + medical supplies
Water purifiers
Hurricane Matthew - Long term aid
Seed distribution - grow crops + support farmers
Rebuild roads + buildings
Counselling services
