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Stormy Weather!

Stormy Weather!. Hurricanes and El Nino (and La Nina) currents. Q. What is a Hurricane?.

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Stormy Weather!

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  1. Stormy Weather! Hurricanes and El Nino (and La Nina) currents

  2. Q. What is a Hurricane? • A hurricane is an intense, rotating oceanic weather system that has maximum sustained winds exceeding 119 km/hr (74 mph). It forms and intensifies over tropical oceanic regions. Many come as weather “waves” off the coast of Africa.

  3. Eye of the hurricane The eye of the hurricane is the center of the hurricane. It can be many miles wide and is usually calm in wind and weather. It is dangerous because a lot of people think the storm is over, when it is only ½ over and the worst may be yet to come.

  4. Eye of the Storm

  5. Affects on Land Strong winds can knock down powerlines, buildings, trees, etc. The storm’s winds and the low pressure push the ocean up and create a storm surge – wall of water that comes on land.

  6. Storm Surge

  7. Storm Surge on Land Wind driven Pressure driven

  8. Hurricane Intensity • The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall.

  9. Hurricane Intensity • Wind speed is the main determining factor in the scale. The higher the wind, the more likely the hurricane is to do damage on land.

  10. Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale • Category 1: Winds 74-95 mph. Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. • Category 2 : Winds 96-110 mph. Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. • Category 3: Winds 111-130 mph. Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. • Category 4: Winds 131-155 mph. Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. • Category 5: Winds greater than 155 mph. Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal.

  11. Hurricanes….. • Lose their intensity as they move inland due to lack of moisture; and they lose intensity as they move over cooler waters due to lack of sufficient heat. • Fewer people have died from hurricanes because of the early warning systems in place-National Hurricane Center and NOAA

  12. HurricaneKatrina

  13. El Nino (and La Nina) • El Niño is unusually warm temperatures in the tropical Pacific. • La Niña is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, compared to El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.

  14. El Nino (and La Nina) • El Niño and La Nina are considered responsible for disrupted fisheries off South America, floods and stormy weather in North America, droughts in Australia, and even famine in Africa.

  15. ENSO Stands for the El Nino-La Nina Southern Oscillation Event The Southern Oscillation refers to differences in the temperature of the surface of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (warming and cooling known as El Niño and La Niña respectively) and in air surface pressure in the tropical western Pacific.

  16. ENSO continues Typically, ENSO happens at irregular intervals of 2–7 years and lasts nine months to two years. The average period length is 5 years. Looks like El Nino will be returning in 2012.

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