Topic: Extreme Weather

20. Tropical Cyclones

Post date 19 November 2020

Weather and Climate: a Teachers’ Guide

Pathway: Extending Weather

Depressions – Microclimates – Urban Climates – Tropical Cyclones

Lesson overview: In this lesson we explore the structure, location and names for Tropical Cyclones as well as some of their potential impacts.

Tropical Cyclones are intense and extremely damaging storms. Fuelled by the transfer of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere they can grow into some of the most destructive weather systems on Earth. Tropical cyclones need specific conditions to form and intensify. These limit the locations in which Tropical Cyclones are able to form. Called Tropical Cyclones anywhere in the world, they are classified as Typhoons in the North-West Pacific and Hurricanes in the Atlantic and North-East Pacific. A Tropical Cyclone has a distinctive structure, consisting of a clear central ‘eye’, surrounded by extensive cloud bands that spiral outwards and may be hundreds of kilometres long. They can have severe impacts, causing coastal flooding and widespread damage to both the natural world and human infrastructure. As the climate changes, the most damaging Tropical Cyclones are expected to increase in intensity.

Learning objectives:

To understand what weather and hazards are associated with a Tropical Cyclone.
To be able to describe the structure of a Tropical Cyclone.
To be able to explain how and why Tropical Cyclones form.

Key Teaching Resources

Tropical Cyclones PowerPoint
Tropical Cyclones worksheet
Hurricane Dorian student data
Plotting Tropical Storm locations using GIS – video.

Teacher CPD/ Extended Reading

Read Tropical Cyclones_More for Teachers

or watch

Alternative or Extension Resources

Category 6 hurricanes? A DME

Typhoon Haiyan GIS activity and background information

Tropical Cyclone challenge game

Further Tropical Cyclone teaching resources

A Hurricane is Approaching: a listening exercise based on a recent National Hurricane Center podcast.

Tropical storm tracker: grid reference plotting practice

Make a Tropical storm case study infographic using this basic template

A blank Tropical Cyclone case study sheet

Weather and Climate: a Teachers’ Guide

1. Weather in Our Lives

2. Weather Measurements

3. Weather and Climate

Post date 19 November 2020

The RMetS is delighted to have collaborated with CREATE Education to develop instructions to allow schools to 3D print sections of the Central England Temperature Record and use their models to learn about weather, climate, extreme weather and climate change.

These engaging, tactile resources allow students to get a hands-on experience of what climate is and how it can change, and how extreme weather relates to the climate.

The Central England Temperature (CET) data record is the longest instrument record of temperature in the world, with average monthly temperature each month from January 1659 to December 2018.

This project and the accompanying resources allow you to create 3D models that will represent 10 years of temperature data. The models have been designed to interlink, so students can create a series of models to represent larger timeframes. Once the 3D models have been created and 3D printed, there is a tactile resource that can be used in multiple ways in the classroom to visualise and study past weather and climate, and at how the climate of the UK has been changing over time.

Download the Teacher Guide
Download the Lesson Resources

The lesson resources specifically focus on

1. The difference between climate and weather

2. The current climate of the UK

3. The changing climate of the UK

4. Looking at past extreme weather events and researching their impacts on people in the UK.

Further resources to teach weather, climate, correlation, photosynthesis, regression, the carbon cycle, isotopes and more.

Further resources past climate change teaching resources for secondary geography.

Tropical Cyclone Challenge

Post date 19 November 2020

Accompanying Worksheet

Background Information (for Teachers)

Return to our Tropical Cyclone Teaching Resources.

Tropical Cyclone Teaching Resources

Post date 19 November 2020

hurricane katrina — Fig. 1 Satellite Image of Hurricane Katrina, 28 August 2005 at 2045 GMT. Courtesy NOAA/CIMSS/SSEC.

Overview document for teachers – START HERE.

At the bottom of the page, you will also find some further reading/ background information for teachers, if you would like to deepen your understanding of Tropical Cyclones.

Introduction to Tropical Cyclones

Resources for Teachers

Tropical cyclones – the basics PowerPoint.

What do you call a tropical cyclone – physical basemap

What do you call a tropical cyclone – cumulative hurricanes basemap.

Teacher resource – Tropical Cyclone basics answers.

Worksheets and Resources for Students

What do you call a tropical cyclone? (cumulative hurricanes or physical basemap)

What kind of storm?

Where, Why and How do they Form?

Our Tropical Cyclone Challenge– use the online interactive resource with accompanying worksheet to discover the recipe for a Tropical Cyclone.

Resources for Teachers

Tropical cyclones: where, why, how PowerPoint.

Thunderstorm recipe (teacher).

Worksheets and Resources for Students

Homework task:

Tracking Tropical Cyclones

Resources for Teachers

Tracking tropical cyclones PowerPoint

Worksheets and Resources for Students

Category 6 hurricanes? a DME

Japan Decision Making Exercise

Hazards

Resources for Teachers

Tropical cyclones – hazards PowerPoint.

Hurricane Harvey Links

Storm surge worksheet- answers.

Hazard posters.

Worksheets and Resources for Students

Tropical cyclone hazards worksheet.

Storm surge worksheet.

Case study: Hurricane Harvey and worksheet.

Homework task:

Option 1: Hurricane Harvey case study and Hunting Hazards.

Option 2: Tropical cyclones worksheet

Option 3: GIS hurricane task.

Impacts

Resources for Teachers

Tropical cyclones – Impacts PowerPoint.

Cyclone Idai Links

The many ways a tropical cyclone can kill you (teacher).

Worksheets and Resources for Students

The many ways a tropical cyclone can kill you.

The other effects a tropical cyclone may have.

Personas.

Case study – Cyclone Ida i.

Extra: Tracking hurricane Irma.

Responses

Resources for Teachers

Tropical cyclones – responses PowerPoint.

Super Typhoon Haiyan/ Yolanda Links.

Worksheets and Resources for Students

Case study – Haiyan.

Response Decision Making Exercise.

Typhoon Haiyan disaster response.

Homework task: GDACS mapping exercise and maps.

Assessment Resource: Cyclone Fani Decision Making Exercise; Cyclone Fani DME resource booklet.

Background Information for Teachers

Extreme Weather (global)

Post date 19 November 2020

A series of downloadable work schemes and associated PowerPoint presentations on extreme weather for AS/ A2 geography.

Produced by Martin Lawrence

Tornadoes Lesson Plan

Tornadoes Powerpoint

Tropical Cyclones Lesson Plan

Tropical Cyclones Powerpoint

Extreme Weather Lesson Plan

Extreme Weather Powerpoint

Monsoons

Post date 19 November 2020

The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word ‘mausim’, meaning season. It was first used by Arabic navigators to describe the seasonal winds of the Arabian Sea. These generally blow from the north-east for one half of the year, and from the south-west for the other half. Although the term monsoon actually means a seasonal wind, it is often used to refer to the torrential rainfall associated with these winds.

Monsoons occur mainly in tropical regions – northern Australia, Africa, South America and the USA. However, the best known area affected by monsoons is south-east Asia, particularly India. During the winter, air over the Siberian plateau becomes colder than air over the surrounding seas, producing a large anticyclone with winds circulating clockwise, thus causing cool north-easterly winds to blow across India and its neighbouring countries. This brings dry, pleasant weather, and has a marked drying effect on the land. During April and May the winds abate, causing temperatures to rise rapidly to over 35 °C.

In the summer the process reverses. The Siberian plateau is now warmer than the seas, and low pressure develops over these seas. The winds circulate anticlockwise and approach India from the south-west, bringing very moist air. These south-westerly winds bring a drop in temperature and heavy downpours of rain. In fact, during this monsoon, which generally lasts from June to September, India receives virtually all its rainfall for each year.

The mountains of southern India split the summer winds. The western arm of the monsoon is deflected northwards, by the western Ghats, to Bombay and then on to Pakistan. The eastern arm travels up through the Bay of Bengal to Calcutta and Assam, and is deflected north-westwards by the Himalayas. On average, the winds arrive in southern India about six weeks before they arrive in north-west India.

The heaviest monsoon rainfalls occur where the winds blow side-on to the hills. The higher the hills and more moist the air, then the greater the amount of rainfall. These factors give Cherrapunji, in Assam, one of the highest rainfalls in the world; the western monsoon winds having travelled an extra distance over the warm seas of the Bay of Bengal, then meeting the Himalayas.

On average, Cherrapunji has an annual rainfall total of nearly 11 metres, the maximum monthly amount occurring in June. Bombay, in the eastern monsoon, receives about 1.8 metres with the maximum monthly total in July.

In comparison, Delhi registers only 64 cm of rainfall each year (about the same as London), with the maximum monthly total occurring in both July and August. At Madras the pattern of rainfall is different because the monsoon winds blow along the coast. Here, the rainfall increases gradually through the summer months with larger amounts falling in October and November, owing to tropical cyclones travelling westwards across the Bay of Bengal.

Monsoon hazards

Monsoon rainfalls are unreliable in that the amount varies considerably from year to year. Low rainfalls cause great problems for agriculture and water supplies in general. On the other hand, even moderate rainfalls can cause flood hazards. The eastern monsoon releases most of its rainfall in the Ganges plain, causing flooding to low-lying areas where the river flows into the Bay of Bengal. In the Indus river the flood problem is often made worse because the monsoon rainfalls can coincide with high river levels in its tributaries, caused by water from the melting mountain snows of the Himalayas.

Web page reproduced with the kind permission of the Met Office

Haiyan Yolanda

Post date 19 November 2020

the earth — Image courtesy of the Dundee Satellite Receiving Station

Tropical Cyclone Haiyan/ Yolanda

Some useful links:

National Geographic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131108-supertyphoon-haiyan-yolanda-atmosphere-climate-change/

BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24894529

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-24887664/typhoon-haiyan-makes-landfall-in-vietnam

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-24879310/typhoon-haiyan-heads-to-vietnam

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24878801

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24846813

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-24866143/weather-report-tracking-monster-typhoon-haiyan

Other tropical cyclone/ hurricane resources on MetLink:

Tropical Cyclones worksheet looking at locations, climatology etc.

Tracking Hurricane Irma an online research exercise.

Using GIS for hurricane tracks and tropical storm risk (Developed by Bob Lang, teacher and GA consultant)

Extreme Weather (developed by Martin Lawrence)

Background information about hurricanes and other tropical cyclones

Weather Charts Teachers’ Notes

Post date 19 November 2020

Understanding weather charts

Teachers’ notes to accompany Understanding Weather Charts

Resources required

Computers with Internet access would be desirable. Alternatively if Internet access is not available, printed copies of student sheets and worksheets should be made.

Prior knowledge required

A basic background of weather and climate.

Teaching activities

Students can visit the following pages to gain a basic background into the topics covered:

The information on the student sheets can be delivered by the teacher and activities completed individually. Alternatively students can work through the whole lesson themselves.

Part A – Isobars, pressure and wind

Part B – Identifying pressure systems and fronts

Part C – Plotted weather charts

Exercises

Three worksheets with exercises are provided to consolidate learning.

A series of additional exercises are provided for more able students, or those who have already studied pressure systems and fronts in more detail prior to this lesson.

Suggestions for homework

Any of the worksheet activities can be completed. Alternatively students can collect weather charts from the Internet or a newspaper and repeat the exercises using these.

Web page reproduced with the kind permission of the Met Office

Drought

Post date 9 November 2020

Download Drought Fact File

What is a drought?

Droughts are not very easy to define. A drought is not just a lack of water for a period of time. In fact there are a whole range of types of drought including; agricultural (farming), meteorological (weather), hydrological (surface water) and socio-economic (ones which affect humans).

Agricultural Drought

This is a drought which affects how farmers can use their land. An agricultural drought usually means there is not enough water for the crops to grow as there is a lack of soil moisture. It can also affect livestock such as cows and sheep.

Hydrological Drought

Hydrological droughts are ones which there is a lack of water at the surface of the earth, resulting in less water in streams, lakes and reservoirs and can impact on the use of water for houses and industry

Meteorological Drought

This is usually simply defined as a period of time where there has been less rain recorded. Rainfall amounts can vary by duration (i.e. time the rain fell for) and the intensity of rainfall (how hard it was raining). Meteorological drought is usually recorded in the time there has been little or no rain for e.g. months or years.

Socio-economic Drought

A Socioeconomic drought is when physical water shortages affects the lives of people; such as their health and quality of life. It can also affect the supply of food and materials and so affect the economy.

Deserts

What is a desert?

A desert is an area of land where rainfall is not sufficient to support vegetation. There are usually large temperature difference between day and night, known as the diurnal temperature range. Deserts can be hot or cold!

What is Desertification?

This is when an area on the boundary of a desert which loses its vegetation and the land becomes filled with sand dunes. Possible causes include climate change and variability, human pressure on the land and overgrazing by livestock (animals).

Where are the Main Deserts in the World?

Deserts are areas of very low rainfall and are often described as drought regions of the globe. But do you know where they are?

In Depth – Extreme Weather

Post date 9 November 2020

Flooding

Flooding is caused by:

a large amount of persistent rain
rapid thawing of snow
a storm surge
a combination of high tides and high river levels

Storm surges
Storm surges are caused by strong winds and low air pressure. When pressure decreases by one millibar, sea level rises by one centimetre. A deep depression, with a central pressure of about 960 mb, causes the sea level to rise half a metre above the level it would have been had pressure been about average (1013 mb). When pressure is above average, sea level correspondingly falls.

Storm surges create large waves. The highest waves wash away protective dunes, batter sea walls and break over coastal defences causing flooding.

The greatest surge on record for the North Sea as a whole occurred on 31 January and 1 February 1953.

Click here to view the floods case study

Tropical cyclones

A tropical cyclone is a low pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters, with convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and winds at low levels, circulating either anti-clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) or clockwise (in the southern hemisphere). The terms hurricane and typhoon are regionally-specific names for a strong tropical cyclone.

Thunderstorms

Most thunderstorms are associated with towering clouds known as cumulonimbus. The right conditions for the formation of a thunderstorm are unstable air and a mechanism for causing air to rise.

While air is rising it is said to be unstable. This instability is the result of a rapid fall of temperature with height, as well as a considerable amount of moisture in the air. This process may because by a warm surface; the air near the surface being forced to rise over higher ground or instability within a weather front.

E.g. on a summer’s day, the land is warmed by the sun, and as the air just above becomes warmer it starts to rise. As it rises it cools, and, if cooled sufficiently, cumulus clouds form at the condensation level. These small, white puffy clouds grow larger and larger as the temperature of the ground increases, causing more warm air to rise. After a time, the top of the cloud turns to ice (usually below a temperature of -20 °C) and streams away in the winds at the level of the cloud top, giving it a characteristic anvil shape.

Lightning
Lightning is a large electrical spark caused by electrons moving from one place to another. Electrons cannot be seen, but when they are moving extremely fast, the air around them glows, causing the lightning flash. The actual streak of lightning is the path the electrons follow when they move.

An atom consists of three basic parts, a proton (which has a positive charge), a neutron (which has no charge) and an electron (which has a negative charge). Electrons cling to the positively charged centre of the atom because they have a negative electrical charge. During a thunderstorm, some of the atoms in the cloud lose electrons while others gain them.

When a cloud is composed entirely of water droplets, there is very little transfer of electrons. As a storm cloud grows in height, the water droplets higher up become cooler. They continue in the liquid state below 0 °C as super-cooled water, but eventually they begin to turn to ice, usually at a temperature below -20 °C. These ice particles often collide. When they do, smaller particles lose an electron to the larger, thereby gaining a positive charge.

The small particles are propelled towards the top of the cloud by strong internal winds, while the larger particles start to fall. This causes the top of the cloud to develop a strong positive charge.

The larger, negatively charged, ice particles begin to ‘capture’ super-cooled water droplets, turning them instantly to ice and growing, some reaching a sufficient size to start falling.

This leads to the base of the cloud becoming negatively charged which, in turn, induces a positive charge on the ground below. In time, the potential gradient between cloud and ground, or between adjacent clouds, becomes large enough to overcome the resistance of the air and there is a massive, very rapid transfer of electrons, which appears as a lightning flash.

Lightning

Thunder
The word thunder is derived from ‘Thor’, the Norse god of thunder. He was supposed to be a red-bearded man of tremendous strength; his greatest attribute being the ability to forge thunderbolts. The word Thursday is also derived from his name.

Thunder is the sharp or rumbling sound that accompanies lightning. It is caused by the intense heating and expansion of the air along the path of the lightning. The rumble of thunder is caused by the noise passing through layers of the atmosphere at different temperatures. Thunder lasts longer than lightning because of the time it takes for the sound to travel from different parts of the flash.

You can roughly estimate how far away a thunderstorm is by measuring the interval between the lightning flash and the start of the thunder. If you count the time in seconds and then divide by three, you will have the approximate distance in kilometres. Thunder is rarely heard at a distance of more than 20 km.

Drought

Drought occurs when there is a lack of rainfall over a long period of time, resulting in water shortages for groups of people, activities or the environment. Droughts have a significant impact on agriculture and can harm the economy.

Causes of lack of rain

Water vapour needs to rise high through the atmosphere in order to condense and bring about rain. However, in areas of high pressure, with the air subsides, water vapour does not rise and no rain or clouds will form. When the high pressure stays in an area for a prolonged length of time the result is drought.
Mountains effect the movement of air too. Air carrying water vapour will rise higher in order to pass over to the windward side of a mountain. As the air rises it cools causing water vapour to condense bringing about precipitation and when reaching the other side of the mountain it has lost most of its water vapour. The leeward side of a mountain is warmer and drier and in some cases a desert.

Web page reproduced with the kind permission of the Met Office

Weather and Climate: a Teachers’ Guide

Weather and Climate: a Teachers’ Guide

1. Weather in Our Lives

2. Weather Measurements

3. Weather and Climate

Where, Why and How do they Form?

Tracking Tropical Cyclones

Impacts

Responses

Background Information for Teachers

Tornadoes Lesson Plan

Tornadoes Powerpoint

Tropical Cyclones Lesson Plan

Tropical Cyclones Powerpoint

Extreme Weather Lesson Plan

Extreme Weather Powerpoint

Monsoon hazards

Tropical Cyclone Haiyan/ Yolanda

Some useful links:

National Geographic

Accuweather.

Guardian

The Telegraph

The Sun

Other tropical cyclone/ hurricane resources on MetLink:

Understanding weather charts

Teachers’ notes to accompany Understanding Weather Charts

Teaching activities

Exercises

Suggestions for homework

What is a drought?

Deserts

Flooding

Tropical cyclones

Thunderstorms

Lightning

Drought

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Weather and climate resources and events for teachers