507
About 2,000 thunderstorms are raging throughout
the world at this very moment, and lightning has struck
about 500 times since you started reading this page.
Storms have enormous power: the energy in a hurricane could
illuminate more light bulbs than there are in the united States.
A storm is basically a very strong wind. Severe storms such as
thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes all contain their own strong
wind system and blow along as a whole. Certain areas, such as the region
around the Gulf of Mexico, are hit regularly by severe storms because of
the local conditions. Storms can cause great damage because of the force
of the wind and the devastating power of the rain, snow, sand, or dust
that they carry along. one of the most destructive forces of a hurricane
is a storm surge. the level of the sea rises because of a rapid drop in
air pressure at the center of the storm. this rise combines with
the effect of the wind on the sea to create a huge wall of
water that causes terrible damage if it hits the coast.thunder And liGhtninG
thunder clouds often form
on hot, humid days. Strong
air currents in the cloud
cause raindrops and
hailstones to collide,
producing electric
charges. lightning
flashes in giant sparks
between the charges,
and often leaps to the
ground. A burst of heat
from the flash makes
the air nearby expand
violently and produces
a clap of thunder.deStruCtion And devAStAtion
Winds of 200 mph (320 km/h) leave a trail
of destruction (below) when the hurricane
strikes the shore. the strongest winds are
in a belt around the calm eye.hurriCAneS
When warm, moist air
spirals upward above tropical
oceans, it forms a hurricane
—a violent storm that is also
called a typhoon or a cyclone.
the spin of earth causes the
storm winds to circle around
a calm center called the eye.
the eye usually moves along
at about 15 mph (25 km/h).
it can measure as much as
500 miles (800 km) across.Buildings are protected by lightning
rods—strips of metal on the roof
that attract the lightning and lead
the electricity safely to the ground.Negative charges in the bottom of the
cloud attract positive charges in the
ground. Eventually, a huge spark of
lightning leaps from the cloud to the
highest point on the ground.tornAdoeS
the most violent storms are tornadoes, or whirlwinds. A twisting
column of rising air forms beneath a thunder cloud, sometimes
producing winds of 250 mph (400 km/h). the air pressure at
the center is very low, which can cause buildings to explode.
A waterspout is a tornado over water, formed when
water is sucked up into the funnel of air. dust
devils are tornadoes that have sucked up
sand over the desert.Storms
Severe storms build up as moist
air, heated by warm land or sea,
rises. Storm clouds develop as
the rising air cools and rain
forms. Air rushes in to
replace the rising air,
and strong winds
begin to blow.The base of the tornado
is fairly narrow—about 1 mile
(1.5 km) across.The rising air spirals
up the column, sucking up
dirt and objects as heavy as
trucks from the ground.Find out more
Climates
rain and snow
tornadoes and hurricanes
Weather
WindUS_507_Storms.indd 507 27/01/16 2:39 pm