1. Shared Reading from Geoworld 7, p198-199
Severe Storms
Shared Reading from Geoworld 7, p

2. What are severe storms?
Storms are extreme and dangerous forms of weather. When unfortunate people are caught up in the fury of thunderstorms— with their strong winds, heavy rain and hail—they can lose their life and property. Other storms vary in intensity, and include cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons), tornadoes, blizzards and dust and sand storms.

3. What is a thunderstorm?
A severe thunderstorm is defined by the Bureau of Meteorology as one producing one or more of the following: • hail with diameter of at least 2 cm ($2 coin size) • wind gusts of at least 90 km/h • flash floods • tornadoes.