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WEATHER TEAM CYCLONE

In your groups of three you will

need to discuss and then write down

three interesting things you know or

have discovered from your reading

about cyclones/twisters to convince

the television station manager that

you have what it takes to be a great

weather presenting team. Then

present your findings to the other

1.

2.

3.

Manager-

Scribe-

Reporter-

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WEATHER TEAM HEATWAVE

In your groups of three you will

need to discuss and then write downthree interesting things you know or

have discovered from your reading

about heatwaves to convince the

television station manager that you

have what it takes to be a great

weather presenting team. Then

present your findings to the other

1.

2.

3.

Manager-

Scribe-

Reporter-

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WEATHER TEAM STORM

In your groups of three you will

need to discuss and then write downthree interesting things you know or

have discovered from your reading

about thunderstorms to convince the

television station manager that you

have what it takes to be a great

weather presenting team. Then

present your findings to the other

1.

2.

3.

Manager-

Scribe-

Reporter-

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CYCLONES

Cyclones are giant, spinning whirlwind storms

that form over the warm ocean. Above the warm

ocean, water evaporates and form clouds. If

there is low air pressure where the clouds are

formed, it pulls them in and they begin to

rotate or spin. In North America, cyclones are

called hurricanes and they are called typhoons

in Asia.

In order for a cyclone to be identified as acyclone, it must be travelling over 119

kilometres per hour and it must have been

formed over the ocean in a tropical region.

The eye is in the centre of the cyclone and can

vary in size, from 10 kilometres to 100

kilometres, depending on the severity of the

storm.

These great storms are usually dangerous and

can cause damage to everything in its path. A

category one cyclone is weak but can still

cause damage and a category 5 cyclone is the

strongest and does the most damage. A cyclone

will often bring with them heavy rains that can

cause flooding. Cyclone season in Australia is

between November and April, but cyclones canstill occur in the month of May. Australia has

an average of 13 cyclones a year and the

average life of a cyclone is one week.

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SEVERE STORMS

A severe storm, also known as a thunderstorm is

a storm that consists of strong winds, heavy

rain, lightening, thunder and sometimes hail.

These storms can result in cyclones or twisters

and they can cause flooding and extensive

damage to buildings.

For a thunderstorm to be created, it

needs three main ingredients:

1. air that is moist2. an atmosphere that is unstable3. a weather event like a front, trough orarea of low pressure.

When you mix these three things together,

thunderstorms can develop. These storms can be

moderate storms, severe storms, multicellular

storms and even supercell storms

Thunderstorms are created when cooler air

begins to push warmer humid air upwards. As the

warm air continues to rise rapidly in an

unstable atmosphere, the cloud builds up higher

and higher and begins to spread. Thunderstorms

can quickly develop when the atmosphere remains

unstable or if it is able to gather additional

energy from surrounding winds.

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Australia has several severe storms each year.

Most thunderstorms in Australia occur during

the months between September through to March.

HEATWAVES

Heatwaves are caused by extremely hot and humid

days with very little air movement to help cool

things down. As our cities and towns get

hotter and hotter during heatwave conditions,

people and `animals have difficulty in keepingcool.

During heatwaves, there is not much wind around

to cool down the Suns heat. This means that

most of the heat gets trapped close to the

ground and the lower air levels. As the

temperature rises, people, animals and plants

suffer from heat stress.

Heatwaves cause stress on the body when there

is too much heat being absorbed and not enough

heat being lost though the bodys normal

cooling processes. When a person or animal is

not able to cool down, their body temperature

gets higher, they breathe quicker and their

pulse increases. As the body gets hotter and

hotter, water is lost from their blood and itgets thicker. This can cause heat stroke and

people can suffer serious or even fatal

consequences.

Heatwaves can also cause losses to crops, kill

animals and severely damage roads and highways,

bridges, railway lines and electrical

equipment. Heatwaves may also cause bushfires

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as plants die from the heat and provide good

fuel for a bushfire.