Severe Storms
The weather is very unpredictable and can change many times in one day. Sometimes it can be very violent and dangerous. Severe storms are dangerous weather conditions that can have devastating consequences for the areas where they occur. Most storms are localised which means they are of a certain size and confined a specific area.
In Australia, severe storms are characterised as either a land gale or a severe thunderstorm. Land gales are simply very strong winds that exceed 60 kilometres per hour. These gales last longer than thunderstorms and are uncommon in Australia.
Thunderstorms can produce hail, high wind gusts, flash floods, tornadoes or any of these events combined. Thunderstorms occur when there is a large amount of cloud activity, which is a sign that the atmosphere is already unstable. Warm, moist air rises very fast into this unstable atmosphere and creates greater movement of air and bigger clouds that are calledthunderclouds. Thunderclouds can be identified by their dark appearance and height. Many thunderclouds rise between 6 kilometres and 15 kilometres into the atmosphere.
Thunderstorms do not last very long and usually end when air that is warm and moist reaches the higher levels of the atmosphere.
The weather is very unpredictable and can change many times in one day. Sometimes it can be very violent and dangerous. Severe storms are dangerous weather conditions that can have devastating consequences for the areas where they occur. Most storms are localised which means they are of a certain size and confined a specific area.
In Australia, severe storms are characterised as either a land gale or a severe thunderstorm. Land gales are simply very strong winds that exceed 60 kilometres per hour. These gales last longer than thunderstorms and are uncommon in Australia.
Thunderstorms can produce hail, high wind gusts, flash floods, tornadoes or any of these events combined. Thunderstorms occur when there is a large amount of cloud activity, which is a sign that the atmosphere is already unstable. Warm, moist air rises very fast into this unstable atmosphere and creates greater movement of air and bigger clouds that are calledthunderclouds. Thunderclouds can be identified by their dark appearance and height. Many thunderclouds rise between 6 kilometres and 15 kilometres into the atmosphere.
Thunderstorms do not last very long and usually end when air that is warm and moist reaches the higher levels of the atmosphere.
Hail
Hailstones are pieces of ice that fall from the sky during a thunderstorm. These pieces of ice start as water droplets that freeze in the upper layers of the atmosphere where it is very cold (below 0 degrees Celsius). As these frozen droplets fall back through the atmosphere, they are coated with more water and carried back up into the higher layers, where this water freezes, making the pieces of ice bigger. This process can occur a number of times. These hailstones will fall to earth the when they become heavier than the air pressure around them.
Hailstones can vary greatly in size. Some can grow to the size of a golf ball or tennis ball and cause a great amount of damage. These balls of solid ice are capable of breaking glass, destroying and flattening crops or even injuring people and animals.
Hailstones are pieces of ice that fall from the sky during a thunderstorm. These pieces of ice start as water droplets that freeze in the upper layers of the atmosphere where it is very cold (below 0 degrees Celsius). As these frozen droplets fall back through the atmosphere, they are coated with more water and carried back up into the higher layers, where this water freezes, making the pieces of ice bigger. This process can occur a number of times. These hailstones will fall to earth the when they become heavier than the air pressure around them.
Hailstones can vary greatly in size. Some can grow to the size of a golf ball or tennis ball and cause a great amount of damage. These balls of solid ice are capable of breaking glass, destroying and flattening crops or even injuring people and animals.
Thunder and lightning
Thunder and lightning are also characteristics of severe storms. Lightning is a form of electricity that is produced when the water and ice in a thundercloud continually move around and collide. Theses collisions create a field of electricity which builds up. When the field has become very strong it forms a giant spark (lightning) which we can see on Earth.
Lightning can cause mild to severe damage to humans. There have been a sizeable number of deaths and injuries caused by lightning. Deaths caused by lightning often number those caused by other natural phenomena. Such damage to humans can include, cardiovascular and respiratory damage, burns, muscular damage (e.g. fractures) and even injury to the eyes.
Thunder is most often heard after lightning is seen. Thunder is the sound that lightning makes but because light travels faster than sound we hear the sound after we see the lightning.
Thunder and lightning are also characteristics of severe storms. Lightning is a form of electricity that is produced when the water and ice in a thundercloud continually move around and collide. Theses collisions create a field of electricity which builds up. When the field has become very strong it forms a giant spark (lightning) which we can see on Earth.
Lightning can cause mild to severe damage to humans. There have been a sizeable number of deaths and injuries caused by lightning. Deaths caused by lightning often number those caused by other natural phenomena. Such damage to humans can include, cardiovascular and respiratory damage, burns, muscular damage (e.g. fractures) and even injury to the eyes.
Thunder is most often heard after lightning is seen. Thunder is the sound that lightning makes but because light travels faster than sound we hear the sound after we see the lightning.