CYCLONES
GEOGRAPHY
GRADE 12
F. LAHER
GRADE 11 RECAP....
A cyclone is another name
for a low pressure cell...
Characteristics of a low
pressure cell:
Air rises
Surface convergence and
upper air divergence
Rising air cools, condenses
and causes rain
Winds blow from a HP into a
LP in a clockwise direction in
the SH
Due to the Coriolis force
GRADE 11 RECAP....
Primary Air circulation
Tri-cellular model- Hadley, Ferrel and polar
cells
Secondary air circulation
Mid-Latitude cyclones
Tropical cyclones
Tertiary air circulation
Valley climates
Urban climates
Berg winds
Land and sea breeze
Anabatic and Katabatic winds
•Very cold
•Warm & cold Polar high •Decending air
•HIGH PRES
air meet
•LOW PRES
•Very hot
•Ascending air
•LOW PRES
•Air from
Equator sinks
•HIGH PRES
Polar high
Winds deflect to the RIGHT in NH and to the LEFT in SH
GLOBAL AIR CIRCULATION
MID LATITUDE
CYCLONES
GENERAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Cells of low pressure that bring cold windy wet
weather
Winds blow into the LP in a clockwise direction
Surface convergence and upper air divergence
They develop 40o-60o North and South
Ferrel cell and are affected by the westerlies
Form because cold polar air meets warm
subtropical air creating the polar front
Warm front and a cold front
They occur in families
1500-3000km in diameter
Lasts for +/- 4-14 days and can travel 1200km a
day
Isobars closed and oval in shape
GENERAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Pressure at the centre is about 992hPa
Also called frontal depressions,
temperate depressions, temperate
cyclones, extratropical cyclones
They travel west to east often affecting
the western side of continents
Causes the Western Cape to receive rainfall
in winter
Mid-latitude cyclones occur all year but
shift when pressure cells shift with the
ITCZ
Affect South Africa in WINTER
AREAS WHERE THEY
FORM
CONDITIONS NECESSARY
FOR FORMATION
Warm moist air needs to meet cold dry
air to set up a front
A front is the boundary between 2 different
air masses
Upper air divergence to ensure
continued ascend of air
A trigger to develop the low pressure
Disturbances in the jet streams
Disturbances by a mountain range
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 1- the initial
stage
There is no
movement of air
across line of
separation (front)
The air masses are
parallel to each
other and blow in
opposite directions
the initial stage is
characterized by a
stationary front.
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 2- The
developing stage
A disturbance is
formed along the polar
front caused by friction
The warm air mass is
less stable than the
cold one and rises
causing the low
pressure to decrease
This will cause a rotary
air movement and
begin to produce a
wave-like pattern
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 3- The mature stage
Wellformed warm and cold fronts have
developed.
Each front marks the boundary and takes the
name of the temperature of the air mass behind it
Warm front is the leading edge of warm air and the cold
front is the leading edge of the cold air
Wind directions vary within the system
Winds are from the NW in the warm sector
Winds are from the NE ahead of the warm front
Winds are SW in the cold sector behind the cold front
Air rises along the warm front
Air rises along the cold front (warm sector) as
colder air from behind the cold front wedges under
WARM FRONT
COLD FRONT
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 4- The occluded stage
Thecold air behind the cold front travels
faster than the warm air. As a result the cold
front catches up to the warm front and
creates an occluded front
The warm air is forced to rise above the cold
air bringing heavy rainfall
The cold front The warm front
remains in contact remains in contact
with the ground with the ground
and lifts the warm and lifts the cold
front front
WARM FRONT
COLD FRONT OCCLUSION
OCCLUSION
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Stage 5- the dissipated stage
The entire warm sector is above ground and
no warm air remains on the ground
There are no fronts as there is no distinction
between air masses
Isobars have returned to normal
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
STAGE 3
STAGE 4
CROSS-SECTION THROUGH
A MID-LATITUDE CYCLONE
ASSOCIATED WEATHER
Cold front
Covers a smaller area
Uplift is rapid
Tall cumulonimbus clouds
Heavy rain
Thunderstorms
Most rain is behind the front
Temperature decreases
Pressure increases
Humidity decreases
Wind direction shifts
SH- backing NW to SW
NH- Veering SE to SW
Cold front
Before Passing While Passing After Passing
Winds South-southwest Gusty; shifting West-northwest
Temperature Warm Sudden drop Steadily
dropping
Pressure Falling steadily Minimum, then Rising steadily
sharp rise
Clouds Increasing: Cumulonimbus Cumulus
Cirrus,
Cirrostratus,
Cumulonimbus
Precipitation Short periods of Heavy rains, Showers, then
showers sometimes with clearing
hail, thunder,
lightning
Visibility Fair to poor in Poor, followed Good, except in
haze by improving showers
Dew Point High; remains Sharp drop lowering
steady
ASSOCIATED WEATHER
Warm front
Covers a wide area
Upliftis more gentle
Hot air rises forming clouds
Cirrus, altostratus, nimbostratus
Softrain, mostly ahead of the front
Temperature increases
Pressure decreases
Humidity increases
Wind direction shifts
SH- backing NW to SW
NH- Veering SE to SW
Warm front
Before Passing While Passing After Passing
Winds South-southeast Variable South-southwest
Temperature Cool-cold, slowly Steady rise Warmer, then
warming steady
Pressure Usually falling Leveling off Slight rise,
followed by fall
Clouds Cirrus, Stratus-type Clearing with
Cirrostratus, scattered
Nimbostratus Stratocumulus
Precipitation Light to Drizzle or none Usually none,
moderate rain, sometimes light
snow, sleet or rain in showers
drizzle
Visibility Poor Poor, but Fair in haze
improving
Dew Point Steady rise Steady Rise, then
steady
IMPACTS
Thunderstorms
Gale force winds
Death of livestock
Damage to crops
Damage to infrastructure
Berg winds
t
ur e gradien
press
Weak s fa r
Isobar
Cold front
NW Wind
SW Wind
Warm front
g r adient
pres
Steep s cl o
se
b a r
I so
Movement of cyclone
•NW-wind
•High temp
•SW-wind •Few/no clouds
•Low temp •No precipitation
•High cloud cover •HP
•Precipitation
•LP
TROPICAL
CYCLONES
WHAT IS A TROPICAL
CYCLONE?
A localized, very intense low-pressure
wind system, forming over tropical
oceans and with winds of hurricane
force.
They cause intense rainfall and can
have devastating effects
NAMES
CHARACTERISTICS
They originate over tropical oceans
Except the South western Atlantic as it never
becomes warm enough
Occur usually in late summer/ early autumn
They develop between 5⁰ and 30⁰ north and
south of the equator
They do not occur at the equator because there is
no coriolis force
Hadley cell, the equatorial low pressure belt and are
affected by the tropical easterlies
They are centered around a cell of extremely
low pressure
996hPa
Surface convergence and upper air divergence
CHARACTERISTICS
Their rotation is clockwise once formed (SH)
Accompanied by heavy rain and showers
Cause a great deal of damage as result of
floods, strong winds and high rainfall
Source of energy is the large amount of
latent heat liberated as moist tropical air
condenses
Rising of moist air in centre contributes to
liberation of latent heat.
Rising air cools, condenses and releases latent
heat
Latent heat is the heat given off when
condensation takes place
CHARACTERISTICS
Move from east to west at between 40 – 200 km a
day then curve back in easterly direction
They affect the Eastern sides of continents
Dissipate as they reach cooler latitudes or due to
friction (by land)
Concentration of potential energy causes
storms to develop
600-1000km storm diameter
Storms begin small and gradually grow
depending on the amount of energy it has
Tropical depression tropical storm category 1
category 2 category 3 category 4 category 5
Not all storms become a tropical cyclone
FACTORS NECESSARY FOR
FORMATION
A sea temperature of more than 27ºC
Water evaporates and the latent heat provides energy for
the storm
High Humidity and unstable air
Hot moist air converge due to tropical easterlies
LP area must be pole ward of 5º N, 5ºS which ensures
a coriolis force
Coriolis force causes winds to spiral into the LP to such an
extent that a calm cloud free funnel called the eye develops
Pressure in the eye is so low that some air is sucked down
and warmed adiabatically
Little surface friction
Intense low Pressure for upper air divergence
These conditions should last for a period of time
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
1. Formative stage 3. Tropical Storm
2. Tropical Depression 4. Mature
Stage
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Formative stage- tropical depression
Pressure ABOVE
1000 hPa
Cumulonimbus
clouds surround
the
centre
Gale force winds 50km
from the eye
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Immature stage- tropical storm
Pressure
drops BELOW
1000 hPa
Isobars are almost
circular
A wall of cumulonimbus
clouds surround the eye
EYE – central, calm,
clear,
cloudless
Wind speeds increase
Hurricane speed winds
50km from the eye
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Mature stage- tropical cyclone
Pressure is
WELL BELOW
1000 hPa
Cyclone is given a name
The eye is clearly visible
Air subsides in the eye
and is heated
ADIABATICALLY
ACTIVE QUADRANT
Direction of wind in the
cyclone is the same as
the
WORST WEATHER direction of movement
SH – SW
NH - NE
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Degenerating stage- decaying/ dissipating
Causes:
Pressure increases
Surface area of cyclone decreases
Clouds begin to break up
Cyclone moves towards higher latitudes
Reasons:
Cyclone reaches land therefore no evaporation
and no latent heat to feed the system
Friction with the land slows it down
Cooler water means less evaporation
STAGES OF
DEVELOPMENT
Tropical cyclones can regenerate if it
moves back over warm water
Will gain more energy by latent heat
Tropical storm
Hurricane Hattie
Category 5 Hurricane
Category 3 Hurricane
Movement East to West Tropical storm
CROSS SECTION
WEATHER
As cyclone As cyclone moves
As eye passes
appears away
over
1st vortex 2nd vortex
Temp and Temperature
Pressure increases
humidity are high increases slightly
Pressure Pressure is at its Winds reach
decreases lowest point hurricane force
Cirrus clouds
appear and
Reversal of wind
thicken into Scattered clouds
direction
cumulonimbus
clouds
Conditions prevail
Wind strengthens
for up to 2 hours
Torrential rain and
Diameter 25km
hail
Temperature
decreases
THE EYE
Rain is heaviest
in the wall
Extends 15km
vertically
25km diameter
Cirrus clouds
extend away
Wind direction is
different on
either side of the
wall.
WIND DIRECTION
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
First Vortex – S
Second Vortex - N
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
First Vortex – N
Second Vortex - S
SYNOPTIC MAPS
SATELLITE IMAGE
From EAST to WEST
EYE
No wind, rain o r
a t OC CU
& Clouds u
q •Tro R
e p
m •Oc ics
o ea
DESTRUCTION fr •Fu n
rt h er
•Storm winds ay - 5°
•Torrential rain w
A
•Flooding
DISSIPATES
Turns EAST at 30° •No Moisture
•No warm air
•Friction
Every now and then, a cyclone manages to
creep into the Mozambique channel
South Africa is SHIELDED by Madagascar
IMPACTS
ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Torrential rains- destroy vegetation &
cause soil erosion
Agricultural lands and crops damaged
Hurricane force winds- uproot trees
Extremely low pressure (986hPa)
ON THE SEA
Swell waves up to 10 metres
Storm waves
Storm surges along the coastal areas
IMPACTS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
Structural damages to buildings,
infrastructure
Loss of human life
Cost of replacement high
Agricultural production may be
affected , but insurance helps people
Diseases break out due to lack of water
and food
MANAGEMENT
Constant monitoring by weather
bureaus worldwide and locally
Weather reports , satellite images and
radar
Timely warnings made to inhabitants
Sandbags may be placed in coastal
areas to reduce flooding
Disaster management schemes must be
in operation
COMPARING CYCLONES
VIDEO REFERENCES
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSx_gisp24
w
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP4rgvu4x
DE
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lKhb5Ggd-
4
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qym7b-qv
kE
https://
