5

SEVERE WEATHER AT SEA

THUNDERSTORMS - Associated when the sound of thunder is heard. Develop onl in those clouds which contain lar!e concentrations of li"uid water and ice coe#istin! at te$peratures %elow & '(). As previousl discussed* thunderstor$ is associated with cu$ulifor$ clouds whose tops e#tend to at least + ,ilo$eters* the $ost co$$on %ein! )% Thunderstor$s accur with develop$ent of heav showers. Also violent weather* such as intense hailstor$s* s"ualls and tornadoes -i!htnin! . Thunder -i!htnin! flash / enor$ous spar, Occurs when dischar!e ta,es place %etween cloud and !round or %etween clouds. sound produced % the violent e#pansion of the air as it suddenl and intensel heated alon! the path of the flash.

Thunder /

THUNDERSTORM 0EATHER 0hen precipitation stars* a down drau!ht is initiated. Descendin! air war$s at saturated adia%atic lapse rate 1A-R2. Environ$ent -R is !reater then A-R. This $aintains the downward $ove$ent of the cold air. Move$ent of air e#tends for sa$e tens of $iles fro$ the centre of the stor$.

Spreadin! of the cold down drau!ht is indicated % pronounced chan!es in the weather. 0ind - The onset is sudden* so$eti$es violent* and is shown % the rapid replace$ent of a wind initiall flowin! !entl towards the developin! )% % a s"uall wind* with !usts e#ceedin! +( ,nots* %lowin! outwards fro$ the centre. The !reater is the distance fro$ stor$3s center* the wea,er the s"uall.

Te$p.

6recipitation 6ressure

- The downdrau!ht is cold* so its onset is $ar,ed % a sudden fall in te$perature* chan!in! % perhaps '(5 in as $an $inutes on e#tre$e occasions. - 7eneath )% cloud* rain and s"uall accurs to!ether. As the cold air spreads awa * the s"uall is not acco$panied % precopitation. - The cold downdrau!ht increases the densit thus !ivin! sudden increase in pressure. 8ncrease of a%out several $illi%ars.

TORNADOES A tornado is a violent whir9wind with an appro#i$atel vertical a#is e#tendin! downwards fro$ the cluod %ase and often reachin! the !round. 8ts width is varia%le* :( & :(( $ and while it crosses the countr * 4( to ;( ,nots speed* violent winds near its centre causes considera%le da$a!e. Tornadoes are essociated with isolated )% clouds. Most severe lasts for several hours Tornadoes are the product of intense convection* thus fre"uentl occur in the su$$er* especiall in the afternoon Several tornadoes $a coe#ist in a !iven !roup of thunderstor$s. A 6ossi%le wa % which a tornado for$s

0ATERS6OUTS 0aterspouts are si$ilar to tornadoes* %ut the accur over open water. A waterspout is a whird wind over the sea* appearin! as a funnel-shaped colu$n usuall e#tendin! fro$ the lower surface of )% cloud to the sea As it travels* the colu$n appears o%li"ue or %ent< it $a %eco$ looped. The spout is in rapid rotation and the wind around it follows a circular path. Althou!h ver local* this wind is often violent* causin! confused %ot not hi!h sea. 0ater-spout $a last fro$ several $inutes of to half an hour or $ore Ori!in of waterspout $a co$e fro$ the $ore severe tornado stor$ spout Tornado stor$ spout $a da$a!e even a lar!e vessel if it passes directl over it* the da$a!e %ein! caused % partl % tornadic winds* partl % the suddenl reduced pressure and partl % the suddenl reduced pressure and partl % the delu!e of water so$eti$e released. The hei!ht of a wateerpout ffro$ sea surface to clood %ase is usuall for$ ;(($ to +(($. S$aller ones are of hei!hts ;( $ -ar!er ones $a reach hei!hts of 4*:(($ 0ater spouts are co$$on at / E"uatorial Atlantic* South Atlantic* East )oast of Use* 7a of -at ;:N* =ulf of Me#ico* Eastern Mediterranean* 7a of 7en!al* =ulf of Sia$.

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>UEST8ONS SE?ERE 0EATHER AT SEA 4. '. ;. A. :. +. B. C. Descri%e the features in the thunderstro$ that cause li!htnin! and thunder to occur. 0hat is $eant % li!htnin! and thunder@ 7riefl deseri%e their features. Descri%e the weather features in the vicinit of a thunderstor$ E#plain the occurrence of the particular weather features associated with the thunderstor$ / 0ind* Te$p* 6recipitation and 6ressure 0hat ia a tornado@ 7riefl descri%e its features =ive a possi%le e#planation for the for$ation of tornadoes 0hat is the difference -etween waterpouts and tornadoes Descri%e the features of a waterspount and e#plain wh it $a %e dan!erous to ships.