The intensity of a hurricane is measured by
the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
. This rates the storms from one to five based on sustained wind speed and the potential property damage those winds can cause. The lowest category storm, a CAT one, is considered minor, with sustained winds of 74 to 95 miles an hour.
How is a tropical cyclone measured?
Winds are measured by
“anemometers”
from observing sites, although whatever speeds they record is an underestimate. The “Dvorak Technique” has been used to measure cyclone intensity, based on infra-red and visible cloud patterns, which are then matched to wind speed.
What scale is used to measure tropical storms?
Although developed in the USA, tropical cyclones around the world are measured by
the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
which originated from 1971 with Herbert Saffir, a civil engineer and Bob Simpson of the US National Hurricane Center.
What can be used to measure storms?
A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, a thermometer measures the temperature, and an anemometer measures wind speed and direction. Weather radar detects precipitation in the clouds, and the
Doppler radar
takes measurements of winds in clouds in order to predict severe storms and tornadoes.
What is the intensity of tropical storms?
| Category Sustained winds | Typhoon ≥64 knots ≥118 km/h | Severe Tropical Storm 48–63 knots 89–117 km/h | Tropical Storm 34–47 knots 62–88 km/h | Tropical Depression ≤33 knots ≤61 km/h |
|---|
What is a Category 7 hurricane?
A Category 7 is
a hypothetical rating beyond the maximum rating of Category 5
. A storm of this magnitude would most likely have winds between 215 and 245 mph, with a minimum pressure between 820-845 millibars. The storm could likely have a large wind field and a small eye.
What are the 5 types of hurricanes?
- Category 1: Winds of 74-95 mph (119-153 km/h)
- Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph (154-177 km/h)
- Category 3: Winds of 111-129 mph (178-208 km/h)
- Category 4: Winds of 130-156 mph (209-251 km/h)
- Category 5: Winds exceeding 157 mph (252 km/h)
What are the 4 types of tropical cyclone?
Tropical Depression
: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less. Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph. Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum winds greater than 74 mph. Major Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum winds greater than 111 mph.
What is the structure of a tropical storm?
Cross section of a typical hurricane. The main parts of a tropical cyclone are
the rainbands, the eye, and the eyewall
. Air spirals in toward the center in a counter-clockwise pattern in the northern hemisphere (clockwise in the southern hemisphere), and out the top in the opposite direction.
Will there ever be a cat 6 hurricane?
Dorian's sustained wind speeds maxed out at 185 mph Sunday, tying a handful of other hurricanes for the second-strongest storm in the Atlantic since 1950. The strongest was 1980's Allen, with sustained winds hitting 190 mph. And, just for the record,
there is no official Category 6 hurricane.
What is the most common place for tornadoes?
Most tornadoes are found in
the Great Plains of the central United States
– an ideal environment for the formation of severe thunderstorms. In this area, known as Tornado Alley, storms are caused when dry cold air moving south from Canada meets warm moist air traveling north from the Gulf of Mexico.
What do meteorologists use to predict tornadoes?
Doppler radar
indicates the presence of mesocyclones, or rotating wind fields that are likely to produce tornadoes. When combined with reports of actual tornadoes, Doppler radar provides valuable measurements that meteorologists can use to make their future predictions more accurate.
Where is Tornado Alley?
Although the boundaries of
Tornado Alley
are debatable (depending on which criteria you use—frequency, intensity, or events per unit area), the region from central Texas, northward to northern Iowa, and from central Kansas and Nebraska east to western Ohio is often collectively known as
Tornado Alley
.
Where do tropical storms begin?
Tropical Storms start
within 5o and 30o north and south of the equator where surface sea temperatures reach at least 26.5oC
. The air above the warm sea is heated and rises. This causes low pressure. As the air rises it cools then condenses, forming clouds.
What are the immediate responses of tropical storms?
The primary effects of a tropical storm are the immediate impacts of strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges. These include:
People are injured or killed by debris being blown around
.
Drowning
.
Where are tropical storms found?
Tropical cyclones occur
around the equator at 5 ° – 30 °
, but also have varying names depending upon where in the world they form. Tropical cyclones initially move westward (owing to easterly winds) and slightly towards the poles.
