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Winds are created by temperature differences between different sections of the globe as well as the earth's movement. High-intensity winds that last for a long time, such as cyclones or hurricanes, can be dangerous. A storm is a disrupted state of the environment that produces severe weather conditions, primarily heavy winds. A thunderstorm is a storm that includes sound, lighting, and often heavy rain or hail. A cyclone is just a large-scale air mass that revolves around low-pressure centers. Storms, cyclones, earthquakes, and other natural disasters can cause harm to human life, animals, and property.
Read Also: Types of Wind
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Key Terms: Air Pressure, Thunderstorm, Cyclone, Tornados, Environment, Weather Conditions
Air Pressure
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The force per unit of area imposed on the Earth's surface by the weight of the air molecules above the surface is known as atmospheric or air pressure. The molecules that make up an air mass, as well as their size, velocity, and quantity, all contribute to the force exerted by the air mass. These variables are significant because they influence the temperature and density of air, as well as its pressure.
It is determined by the number of air molecules above a surface. The overall air pressure rises as the number of molecules increases, exerting more pressure on a surface. When the quantity of molecules in the airdrops, the air pressure lowers as well. A barometer is a device that is used to measure air pressure.
Check Important Notes for Unit of Pressure
Wind
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The earth's atmosphere is continually shifting, that's why Wind is just moving air. When there are changes in air pressure from one location to another, They are formed. Sinking air at ground level spreads out in high-pressure places, migrating away from the high pressure. Currents in the surface waters of oceans and seas caused by wind activity on the water's surface include:
The combined impact of friction, turbulent viscosity, pressure gradient, deflecting force of the earth's rotation, and other factors cause wind currents. The drift current is the wind component of these currents that do not take into consideration the pressure gradient. Winds that are consistently flowing in the same direction produce powerful wind currents.
Storm
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A storm is any disrupted condition of an environment or in the atmosphere of an astronomical body that affects its area and heavily implies high winds. Powerful winds, thunder & lightning, heavy precipitation, tornadoes, hail, heavy freezing rain, strong winds, or wind carrying some material through the atmosphere, as in a dust storm, sandstorm or blizzard are all examples of substantial disturbances to normal circumstances.
Storm surge, road impassibility or severe rain or snow creating floods, lightning, wildfires and vertical & horizontal wind shear all have the potential to endanger people and property. Drought relief is aided in areas when systems with high rainfall and duration pass through. Heavy snowfall can enable specific leisure activities such as skiing and snowmobiling that would otherwise be impossible.
Read Further: Some Natural Phenomena due to Sunlight
Thunderstorm
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A thunderstorm is a powerful, short-lived meteorological disturbance marked by lightning, heavy rain or hail, thunder, thick clouds & strong gusty winds. They form when warm, moist air layers rise in a big, fast updraft to cooler parts of the atmosphere. The liquid in the updraft condenses there, forming massive cumulonimbus clouds & eventually, precipitation. Cooled air columns then fall to the ground, causing severe downdrafts and horizontal winds. Electrical charges build up on cloud particles at the same moment.
Lightning strikes when the electric charge in the atmosphere builds up to a critical level. Lightning warms the air it passes through so swiftly and fiercely that shock waves are formed, which are heard as thunderclaps and rolls. Severe thunderstorms are occasionally accompanied by spinning air vortices that become concentrated and strong enough to create tornadoes.
Conversion of Thunderstorm to Cyclone
Water absorbs heat from the atmosphere to turn into vapour during thunderstorms before cloud formation. This heat is discharged into the atmosphere as water vapour returns to liquid form as raindrops. The heat that is emitted into the environment heats the air in the surrounding area. The air tends to ascend, resulting in a decrease in pressure. More air rushes to the storm's centre. This cycle occurs again and again. The series of events culminates in the production of a very low-pressure system surrounded by extremely high-speed winds. A cyclone is the name given to this type of weather. Wind speed, direction, temperature, and humidity all have a role in the formation of cyclones.
Steps to follow if a storm is followed by lightning
- Never lay on your back on the ground.
- Get off any elevation regions, such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks, as soon as possible.
- Never seek cover behind a cliff or rocky overhang.
- Don't attempt to hide behind an umbrella.
- An automobile or a bus is a secure location to seek refuge.
- Get out of ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water as soon as possible.
- Never seek refuge under a lone tree.
Cyclone
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A cyclone is a massive mass of whirling air that travels at roughly 1015 kilometres per hour high in the atmosphere. Cyclonic winds, with the exception of the equatorial belt, travel across virtually all of the Earth's surface and are usually associated with rain or snow. Anticyclones, wind systems that revolve around a high-pressure centre, also occur in similar places. These winds are typically weaker than cyclonic winds, and they rarely cause precipitation. The eye of the storm is the cyclone's core, and it usually has a diameter of 10 to 30 kilometres. Hurricanes and typhoons are other names for cyclones.
Generation of Wind Currents as a Result of Unequal Heating of the Earth
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On Earth, there are two scenarios in which winds occur and both are following.
- Uneven heating between the equator and the poles
The Sun provides the most heat to regions near the equator due to which the air in these areas warms up. Warm air rises, while colder air comes in from the 30 degree latitude zone on each side of the equator. This air moves towards the equator from the north & south. The wind near the poles is colder than in latitudes of around 60 degrees. Warm air rises at these latitudes, while cold air rushes from the polar regions to take its place. Wind circulation is established from the poles to the warmer latitudes in this manner. The winds would have flowed north-south, from north to south, or from south to north.
- Uneven Heating of Land and Water
Near the equator, the land warms up more quickly in the summer, and the temperature of the surface is usually higher than that of the seas. The air above the ground heats up and rises. As a result, winds from the oceans blow towards the land. These are the winds of the monsoon season. In the winter, the wind flows in the other direction, from the land to the sea.
Also Read: Causes & Effects of Water Pollution
Tornado
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A tornado is a furiously rotating column of air that extends down to the earth from the base of a thunderstorm. It may utterly demolish well-constructed structures, uproot trees, and fling items through the air like lethal missiles.
Measures of safety from tornadoes
- Go to the basement or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows (bathroom, closet, centre hallway).
- Avoid taking refuge in a room with windows if at all feasible.
- Collaboration with other people, along with rescue teams.
- Get beneath anything substantial for extra protection like heavy table or workbench
- Staying in a mobile home is not a good idea.
Things to remember
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- The sun heats up the places closest to the equator the most, and the heated air rises.
- When water in the atmosphere converts from vapour to rain during a thunderstorm, it releases heat. This heats the surrounding air and causes a pressure decrease.
- Storms are formed when a low-pressure area forms with a high-pressure system around it.
- Cyclones form over warm ocean waters near the equator, mainly in areas of low air pressure.
- A thunderstorm is characterised by the rapid movement of falling water droplets and rising air, as well as lighting and sound.
Check Further: Storage of Grains
Sample Questions
Ques. What causes Cyclones? (3 Marks)
Ans. Cyclones form over warm ocean waters closer to the equator, mainly in areas of low air pressure. Warm wet air rises from the ocean's surface, resulting in the establishment of a low-pressure zone above the surface. Higher-pressure air from the surrounding area pushes into the low-pressure zone. After getting warm and damp, the chilly air rises again. The cycle therefore continues. After then, clouds develop as the moisture in the air cools and the warm air rises.
Ques. What kind of preparations should be made ahead of time to deal with a cyclone's? (5 Marks)
Ans. It is critical to follow these guidelines while dealing with cyclones:
- Observe the broadcasts on television and radio for any cautions.
- relocating to locations that are more secure
- Having a disaster kit on hand is a good idea.
- When not going into the sea, keep food in waterproof bags.
- All emergency numbers should be kept on hand.
Ques. What are tornadoes? (5 Marks)
Ans. A Tornado is a violently spinning storm that looks like a black cylinder with a narrow land end. Spouts of water form over the sea and are known as water spouts. Tornadoes are typically formed on land and are caused by thunderstorms. These beasts are fierce, reaching speeds of exceeding 500 km/h and annihilating anything in their path. Although they are not common in India, they do occur in Canada and the United States. Warm air whirls about as it rises from the earth's surface, generating extraordinarily high-speed winds. These are much smaller than cyclones, with diameters ranging from a few metres to a few hundred metres, but wind speeds of up to 500 km/h. Dust, rubbish, autos, trees, and even buildings are swept up by tornado funnels at their bases.
Ques. How are Rains Caused? (3 Marks)
Ans. Winds take moisture from the ocean and seas with them as they travel towards the land. After a certain point, the moisture in the clouds becomes saturated. The water droplets within the cloud condense onto one another. Water droplets develop as a result of this sort of condensation. When water droplets become too heavy to remain hanging, they fall to the ground in the form of rain.
Ques. What role does water pressure have in your life? (3 Marks)
Ans. The following are some examples of air pressure's importance:
- It produces wind. A difference in air pressure causes the wind on Earth.
- It has an impact on the weather. Cloudy and clear sky are caused by air movement, or the downward or upward flow of air caused by pressure differences, bringing rain or wonderful weather.
- The weather forecasting Air pressure variations give critical information for weather forecasting. A barometer is a device that monitors the pressure in the atmosphere.
Ques. What happens after a thunderstorm? (3 Marks)
Ans. The condensation mechanism that creates the thunderstorm clouds provides a significant portion of the storm's energy. The rain finally cools down the entire process and the energy is gone as the thunderstorm proceeds. Thunderstorms also aid in the electrical balance of the planet.
Ques. What kind of preparation is necessary ahead of time to deal with a cyclone? (5 Marks)
Ans.
- We should not disregard weather warnings broadcast on television, radio, or in newspapers by the meteorological agency.
- Always keep a supply of drinking water on hand in case of an emergency.
- Do not touch wet switches or electrical wires that have fallen.
- All emergency services, such as the police, fire department, and medical centers, should have their phone numbers readily available.
- Do not put undue pressure on the rescue team by making unreasonable requests.
Ques. What is the Coriolis effect? (5 Marks)
Ans. A revolving frame of reference produces the Coriolis effect, which is an "apparent" effect. A fake force, sometimes known as an inertial force, is a form of effect. When an item traveling along a straight route is observed from a non-fixed frame of reference, the Coriolis effect occurs. The Earth, which spins at a constant pace, is usually used as this moving frame of reference. Because of the Earth's rotation, an object in the air that is traveling a straight route appears to lose its course. The item is not deviating from its intended path. The Earth is spinning underneath it, so it merely looks to be doing so.
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