Flying into the eye of Hurricane George

Key idea: Tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons) develop as a result of particular physical conditions. Global distribution of tropical storms Causes of tropical storms and the sequence of their formation and development The structure and features of a tropical storm How climate change might affect the distribution, frequency and intensity of tropical storms.

Up to 4: Name the basic features of tropical storms, begin to describe their structure. 5/6: Name and describe the main features and structure of tropical storms. Identify these on simple satellite images. 7+: Name and describe all features and structure of tropical storms. Identify and apply these to satellite images. The structure and features of a tropical storm

1. The ‘eye’ of the storm can be up to 50km across. There is very low pressure, light winds, no clouds, no rain and high temperatures. 2. In some areas there is weak convection and air can sink. 3. A gentle outflow of air spirals away from the top of the eye. 4. The eye wall is typically 10-25km from the eye. Towering cumulonimbus clouds reach 20km up into the troposphere. The winds are strongest here (around 160km per hour), there is torrential rain and a low temperature. 5. Towards the edges of the storm the wind speed falls, the bands of clouds become smaller and more scattered. The rain becomes less intense and temperature increases. 6. Sinking air in the eye.

1. The ‘eye’ of the storm can be up to 50km across. There is very low pressure, light winds, no clouds, no rain and high temperatures. B 2. In some areas there is weak convection and air can sink. D 3. A gentle outflow of air spirals away from the top of the eye. E 4. The eye wall is typically 10-25km from the eye. Towering cumulonimbus clouds reach 20km up into the troposphere. The winds are strongest here (around 160km per hour), there is torrential rain & a low temperature. A 5. Towards the edges of the storm the wind speed falls, the bands of clouds become smaller and more scattered. The rain becomes less intense and temperature increases. C 6. Sinking air in the eye. F

AB C Describe what the weather conditions would be like if you were stood at A, B or C. Consider the wind, rain and temperature.

Watch this summary about what we have covered so far How fast do the winds have to be for a tropical storm? How much power does a tropical storm like a hurricane have? What kind of damage to they cause? How can we try to predict them?

The structure and features of a tropical storm

Figure 1 is a satellite image of Hurricane Katrina, a tropical storm which hit the USA in August Make a sketch of the storm and label it with 3 features (4) 1 mark for the sketch. 3 marks for valid labels. Circular shape, eye, eye wall, anti-clockwise spin, cloud bands

In an exam a sketch worth 1 mark does not need to be a work of art!

Carry out some research into how hurricanes are measured. What kind of measurements and experiments do scientist do when they fly into a tropical storm?

5 places in the world that might have a tropical storm 4 conditions needed for a tropical storm 3 names for a tropical storm 2 places which cannot have a tropical storm 1 wind speed needed for an official tropical storm Plenary

Key idea: Tropical storms (hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons) develop as a result of particular physical conditions. Global distribution of tropical storms Causes of tropical storms and the sequence of their formation and development The structure and features of a tropical storm How climate change might affect the distribution, frequency and intensity of tropical storms.