Tropical Storm Causes
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 1.3.7
Formation of Tropical Storms
Tropical storms form over water that is 26.5oC or warmer and when there's a small difference in wind speeds between the upper atmosphere and the lower atmosphere.
When do tropical storms form?
- Tropical storms form over water that is 26.5oC or warmer.
- Lots and lots of energy is released when air evaporates, rises or cools. This increases the speed and energy of a storm.
- The strength of a storm falls as they move further away from warm water (so when storms are above land or above cooler parts of the ocean).
Why do tropical storms move west?
- Near the equator, surface winds are mainly trade winds moving east.
- The trade winds and something called the Coriolis Effect mean that tropical storms move from east to west.
Spin
- The rotation of the Earth causes the Coriolis effect, which makes tropical storms spin by deflecting winds.
Test yourself on Tropical Storm Causes
What temperature must water be for a tropical storm to develop over it?
Which direction do tropical storms tend to move?
Which of the following describes tropical storms?