MODULE 2-1 FORMATION OF A CYCLONE

Hydrometeorological Hazards
3 BASIC STAGES IN THE LIFE OF A TROPICAL
Hydrometeorological Hazards are dangers CYCLONE
associated with the natural processes of - Origin/Source
phenomena involved in the transfer of - Mature stage
water and energy between the land surface - Dissipation stage (where it dies out)
and lower atmosphere. Among the hazards These occur in a continuous process not as
associated with these are typhoons, separate and distinct stages; each stage may
thunderstorms, flash floods, floods, storm occur once during the life cycle as the
surges, tornadoes, El Niño and La Niña. strength of the cyclone rises and falls.

1. CYCLONE - TYPHOON- A cyclone is an Conditions for a cyclone - the conditions of

intense low pressure system which is a cyclone depends upon the following
characterized by strong spiral winds towards conditions coinciding. Large, still, and warm
the center, called the “Eye” in a ocean area with a with a surface
counter-clockwise flow. temperature that exceeds 26.5 degrees
It is called.... celsius (this allows a body of warm air to
• Hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean or the develop above the oceans surface)
eastern Pacific Oceans - Low latitude winds blowing from different
• Typhoons in the western North Pacific and directions (the rising air contains huge
Philippines amount of moisture evaporated from the
• Cyclone in the Indian Ocean and South ocean’s surface as it rises it cools
Pacific Ocean condensing to form huge clouds about 10
kilometers up in the troposphere)
A typhoons, or bagyo in Filipino are intense - Drawn further upwards by the new release
circulating winds with heavy rain over of energy the clouds can grow to 12 to 15
tropical waters and land. km high
Tropical Depression: up to 61 kph - Coriolis Effect causes rising currents of air
Tropical Storm: 62 to 88 kph to spiral around the center of the tropical
Severe tropical storm: 89 to 117 kph cyclone
Typhoon: 118 to 220 kph - Mature Stage this stage that the cyclone
Super Typhoon: exceeding 220 kph matures and the eye of the storm is created
as the air rises and cools some of this dense
air descends to form the clear still eye as
the cyclone rages around it.
- the eye wall where the wind is strongest
behaves like a whirling cylinder, cyclones
rotate clockwise in the southern
hemisphere; anti-clockwise in the northern
hemisphere
- the lowest air pressure in a tropical
cyclone is always found at the center and is
typically 950 millibars or less
- the average air pressure at the earth’s
surface is about 1010 millibars
-tropical cyclones have significantly lower
air pressure that the air surrounds them
(the bigger the pressure difference the
stronger the wind force)
- the lowest air pressures ever recorded was
877 millibars for typhoon Ida which hit the
Philippines in 1958 where winds reached
300 kilometers an hour

Public Storm Signal No. 1 – Winds of 30-60

kph are expected
Public Storm Signal No. 2 – Winds greater
than 60 kph and up to 100 kph may
expected in at least 24 hours
Public Storm Signal No. 3 – Winds greater
than 100 kph- 185kph may expected in at
least 18 hours
Public Storm Signal No. 4 – Very strong
winds of more than 185kph but less than
220 kph may expected in at least 12 hours
Public Storm Signal No. 5 – Maximum
sustained winds of more than 220 kph may
be experienced within 12 hours
2. THUNDERSTORM
- A thunderstorm is a weather condition
that produces lightning and thunder, heavy
rainfall from cumulonimbus clouds and
possibly a tornado.
- It usually happen in summer because of
the atmosphere’s high humidity and high
temperature
- lightning is one of the most incredible
natural phenomenons
- estimated lightning occurs 50 to 100 times
a second
- the greatest concentrations of lightning
strikes in central africa, himalayas and
south america
- lightning is often seen flashing between
storm clouds and the earth (lightning often
occurs within the downdrafts and updrafts
of thunderstorms)
- lighter particles moving toward the top of
clouds become positively charged while
heavier particles toward the bottom
become negatively charged, when the
positive and negative charges grow large
enough lightning is released between there
regions
- the path reaches temperatures of around
50,000 degrees fahrenheit, this extreme
heat creates the booming thunderclap as
excessive pressure within the lightning
expands at supersonic rates on return
strokes

- in the U.S lightning occurs most often in

florida its hot moist climate perfect for
creating thunder clouds which produce Flash flood, it is a rapid flow of water on
lightning, but lightning is a deadly natural saturated soil or dry soil. These are usually
phenomenon taking nearly 100 lives a year caused by extensive rainfall can also be
on average in the U.S more than hurricanes induced by man-made structures such as
or tornadoes water overflows from a dam.
- lightning is a powerful force of nature and Storm Surges, it is an abnormal rise in
one to be cautious of coastal waters due to a massive force from
the sea or from the above sea level. It can
be caused by strong typhoon or a sea
quake. It can also be disastrous and can also
aggravate by the occurrence of high tide.

UNDERSTANDING STORM SURGE

- storm surge is sea level rise on top of the
normal tide level, the rise is created by low
pressure systems including tropical cyclones
as they near the coast
- if storm surge arrives during low tide
coastal impacts may be minor, if however
storm surge arrives during a high tide the
impacts can be much more severe
- storm surge combined with large waves
can reach areas far away from the coast,
strong low pressure systems especially
• There are several reasons for doing it: tropical cyclones create storm surges by
It makes you a smaller target. If you don’t physically pushing the water onshore (the
put your feet together, lightning could go stronger the winds the higher the storm
through your heart and kill you. surge)
- large storm surges can push water many
3. FLOOD kilometers inland, which combined with
Flood is the inundation of land areas which wind and pounding waves can destroy
are not normally covered by water. A flood buildings, wash away roads, and pose threat
is to life
usually caused by a temporary rise or the
overflowing of a river, stream, or other La Niña is associated with extreme climatic
water variability such as devastating rains, winds,
course, inundating adjacent lands or flood- anomalies in rainfall, temperature and
plains. tropical cyclone activities.
El Niño refers to the large-scale warming of
the ocean and atmosphere across the
central and east-central Equatorial Pacific.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS (What to do HABAGAT

before, during, and after a typhoon) - nagdadala ng mainit at “moist” na
hanging mula sa Indian Ocean na
BEFORE A TYPHOON nagdudulot ng matitindi at mabibigat na
pag-ulan
- hanging nagmumula sa Timog Kanluran
- Karaniwang dumarating sa mga buwan ng
Hunyo hanggang Oktubre

AMIHAN
- nagdadala ng tuyo at malamig na hanging
mula sa Siberia
- hanging nagmumula sa Hilagang-Silangan
- Karaniwang dumarating sa mga buwan ng
Nobyembre at maaaring umabot hanggang
buwan ng Marso

DURING THE TYPHOON

WHAT TO DO AFTER TYPHOON?
1. Have a knowledgeable person inspect
electrical wiring before using electrical
appliances. It is usually advisable not to use
appliances immediately after a typhoon
especially if your house got flooded.
2. Check for any damage, including water
pipes, and help make necessary repairs as
soon as possible.
3. Boil water before drinking it to avoid
getting sick.
4. Wear slippers, shoes or other footwear,
for protection from any sharp or pointed
objects that might have fallen.
5. Avoid electrical wires that have fallen.
6. Stay away from flood waters. They carry
water-borne diseases. Many people who
have survived a storm but braved flood
waters actually have been hospitalized, not
just for injuries or diarrhea, but also to the
deadly leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is also
known as Weil’s syndrome, and is caused
by bacterial infection when dirty water
contaminated with animal urine (commonly
rats) comes in contact with a person’s
unhealed wounds or scratches, newly
pedicure nails, a person’s eyes, or with
mucous membranes (like in skin, nostrils,
mouth, lips, eyelids, ears, genital area and
anus).
7. Clean and clear everything damaged by
the typhoon.
8. Stay in a safe place with a means of
escape.