What factors are necessary for tropical storms to form?
- Sea water above 27 degrees celsius
- A disturbance near the sea surface that triggers the storm (e.g. an area of low pressure)
- ## At least 5º from the equator. The coriolis effect isn’t strong enough to make them spin when they are 0 - 5º from the equator
What are some properties of tropical storms?
- They lose strength when they move over land due to a lack of warm, moist air
- They initially move westwards due to eastwards winds in the tropics
- They move away from the equator because of the coriolis effect
What are some basic social impacts of storm hazards?
Social: Death and injury, houses destroyed, contaminated water helps disease spread, food shortages due to damage to agricultural land.
What are some basic economic impacts of storm hazards?
Economic: Infrastructure costs a lot to rebuild, businesses damaged so can’t trade, agricultural land is damaged affecting commercial farming
What are some basic environmental impacts of storm hazards?
Environmental: Beaches are eroded and coastal habitats are damaged, environments polluted due to chemical spills, landslides cna block watercourses
What is the coriolis effect?
Rotation of the earth - a certain amount of spin is needed for the rotating motion of a tropical storm.
The effect increases with distance from the equator.
How are Hurricanes measured?
On the Saffir-Simpson scale, a fivepoint scale based upon central pressure, wind speed, storm surge and damage potential
