Weird and Wonderful Oddities of Nature: The Magnificent Storm Systems
Published by A mature hurricane consists of bands of thunderstorms spiraling round a calm central area called the eye. An average hurricane can reach up to 970 km (600 miles) in diameter and contain hundreds of storms. They produce winds up to 250 km/h (150 mph), intense rain and ocean surges. They can last for weeks and travel thousands of miles.
Weird and Wonderful Oddities of Nature: The Magnificent Storm Systems
By Mr Ghaz, September 27, 2010
Weird and Wonderful Oddities of Nature: The Magnificent Storm Systems
Core facts
The thunderstorm is one of the most common weather systems on Earth. Every day about 40 000 thunderstorms occur around the world: most occur over in the tropics.
Thunderstorms develop in cumulonimbus clouds, and we are accompanied by heavy rain, hail, high winds and lightning, the electrical discharges that causes thunder.
Tropical storms are known as hurricane in America and the Caribbean. They are typhoons in the Pacific and China Sea, and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australasia.
Tropical storms occur between June and November in the Northern Hemisphere, and between November and May in the Southern Hemisphere.
Thunder and Lightning
Thunderstorms develop when warm, moisture-laden air rises rapidly, causing a cloud to expand upwards. Strong updraughts and downdraughts develop, causing a separation of the electrical charges inside the cloud positive at the top, negative at the bottom. When the difference in electrical charge within a cloud or between the bottom of the cloud and Earth’s surface is large enough, electricity is discharged.
Heat from a lightning flash, which can reach 22 000°C (40 000°F), causes the surrounding air molecules to expand rapidly, producing the sound waves we hear as thunder. Because light travels faster than sound we see lightning before hearing thunder.
Weird and Wonderful
When lightning enters sand it can form thin tubes of glass, called fulgurites. Charles Darwin found many at the mouth of the River Plate. The tubes were 0.8-2.5mm (1/30-1/10in) thick, and one was nearly 2 m (6.6ft) long.
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On September 27, 2010 at 7:50 am
wow… nice shots…
On September 27, 2010 at 8:54 am
Thank You for this.
On September 27, 2010 at 9:22 am
Magnificent nature at its best of fury…great share Mr. Ghaz
On September 27, 2010 at 9:49 am
Nice Scenes
On September 27, 2010 at 10:53 am
When ever you write an article you always have the wow factor a great read and write from you amazing snaps to. thanks for the share.
On September 27, 2010 at 11:43 am
These are weird but interesting occurence.
On September 27, 2010 at 11:48 am
sania mirza blue film
On September 27, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Magnificent nature but how destuctrice…
On September 27, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Amazing photos and some interesting facts – thanks.
On September 27, 2010 at 8:07 pm
nice post.
On September 27, 2010 at 11:21 pm
well done !
On September 27, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Indeed, nature is magnificent
On September 28, 2010 at 6:44 am
Another brilliant article on such a very interesting topic. Great work.
Christine
On September 28, 2010 at 7:47 am
Cool entry. very interesting article. I like it
On September 28, 2010 at 10:04 am
This was GREAT!
On September 28, 2010 at 11:14 am
another fantastic article.