Tornados vs Hurricanes WHAT DO HURRICANES AND TORNADOES

Tornados vs. Hurricanes

WHAT DO HURRICANES AND TORNADOES HAVE IN COMMON? Low Pressure l Strong Winds l Hazardous to Life and Property l

HOW DO THEY DIFFER? Location l Size l Duration l Season of Occurrence l Distinctive Hazards l

WHEN DO THEY OCCUR? l Hurricane season • Late Summer and Fall l Tornado season • Spring and Early Summer

l Hurricanes form over warm (80 °F) tropical seas • Latitude 7 -15 degrees North and South of the equator l Tornadoes form over land in the mid-latitudes

What is a tornado? v. A tornado is a violent whirling wind that moves across the ground in a narrow path.

How are Tornadoes formed? v Late in the day, when earth’s surface is very warm, convection (The flow of heat through a material, causing hot parts to rise and cooler parts to sink. ) can get very strong. This can lead to a tornado.

Tornado Happenings 1. When the updraft in a convection cell is really strong, the air rushes in from all sides at high speeds.

2. Air curves into a spin. This lowers the pressure even more. Air rushes in even faster, and the pressure gets even lower, and so on. v Like a skater who pulls her arms in close to her sides. The tornado spins faster and faster.

3. As the tornado gets stronger, a funnel forms that can destroy anything in it’s path. The center of the tornado can reach speeds of 300 miles per hour or more.

Where Do Tornadoes Happen? v Tornadoes happen where dry, cold air masses mix with warm, moist air masses. v More tornadoes occur in the United States than in any other country, especially in the area known as TORNADO ALLEY.

What is a Hurricanes ØA hurricane can best be described as a huge tropical storm with winds up to 200 mph! Ø Storm usually doesn’t last for more than 710 days. Ø As it moves inland it continues to move across the land but it begins to weaken

Intertropical Convergence Zone The ITCZ is an area of low pressure located roughly 5 degrees North and South of the Equator. It is a place where air converges, rises, and condenses (forming clouds). It is the rainiest place on Earth!

So What Does a Hurricane Need in Order to Develop? So a hurricane needs warm water, time to grow, and favorable upper level winds in the troposphere. If the winds are too strong, they will blow the hurricane apart – we call that wind shear!