Winds, Storms, and Cyclones: Causes, Effects

Winds, Storms, and Cyclones: Do you know the variation in air pressure causes winds? Air moves from the region of high pressure to the region of low air pressure. The moving air is called wind. But do you know how these pressure differences are created in nature? Do you know when winds blow with high intensities, it may raise thunderstorms and cyclones? A thunderstorm is a swift movement of the falling water droplets and rising air, lightning, and sound. When the air pressure is too low in a large region, it may cause cyclones. In this article, You will get the answers to all the above questions. Here we will discuss the causes of the formation of winds, storms and cyclones. We will also discuss why they are so destructive and how to get protected and minimize their effects.

Wind

The flowing of gases or movement of bulk of air on the surface of Earth is called wind. Many qualities of the wind include the types of forces that are caused by them, in the regions they occur, their results, wind speed, and spatial scale. Wind also occurs in outer space, known as the solar wind. It requires the movement of charged particles and gases from the sun through space. Wind speed, the density of gas causing the wind, wind energy are all different aspects. It has its strength and direction of flowing.

Wind Currents:- Increase in wind speed accompanies reducing air pressure exerted by the air around us. Wind currents are air currents of considerable force moving mainly in the horizontal direction from high pressure to low pressure. Air becomes light on heating because it expands and rises to occupy more space due to expansion. Warm air is lighter than cool air, illustrated by the fact that smoke always rises.

Storm

When a centre of low pressure develops with the high-pressure system surrounding it, storms are generated. It is noticeable by high wind moving at great wind speed. The regions that lie near the equator experience more heat from the sun. Then, the warm air rises and moves in to take its place from the equator. On the other hand, the air at the pole region is colder than the air at the equator. Thus, as the warmer air rises, the cooler air race in from the poles. Consequently, due to the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface, wind currents move from poles to warmer latitudes.
There are many types of storms, such as dust storms in which the wind picks up large quantities of sand and soil, and visibility also gets badly impacted. Due to precipitation of chunks of ice hailstorm occurs. When surface temperatures are belowzing, then an ice storm is formed. It is one of the most dangerous forms of a winter storm. We can characterize snowstorms as heavy snowfall, thunderstorms, cyclones, and so on.

Thunderstorm

When the Earth surface temperatures rise, it produces a strong upward wind, and these winds carry water droplets upwards, where theyze and fall again. Due to this swift movement of the falling water, droplets and the rising air produces lightning and sound. We call this event a thunderstorm. In hot, humid and tropical areas like India, it develops very frequently.

What causes a Thunderstorm?

Water droplets that carry air are lifted vertically into the atmosphere because of different warming of the Earth’s surface. Then the air condenses after the lift, and latent heat is with the expansion resulting from a decrease in pressure (with the increase in height). With hail, and lightning the condensed dropletsze and fall back to the ground.

Conversion of a thunderstorm into cyclone: You know that water requires heat when it changes from liquid to vapour state. When the vapour condenses into liquid, does the water give back to heat? Before cloud formation, water takes up some heat from the atmosphere to convert back into vapour. The air tends to rise and causes a pressure drop. A large amount of air rushes towards the centre of the storm. This cycle is repeated. After many cycles of these events ends with the formation of a very low-pressure system with very high-speed winds revolving around it. This weather condition is called a cyclone. Many Factors like wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and humidity lead to cyclones’ formation.

Cyclone

In a storm, the eye is the centre of a cyclone. A cyclone is a violently rotating mass of air in the atmosphere up to \(10\) to \(15\;\rm{km}\) high. The diameter of the eye varies from \(10\) to \(30\;\rm{km}\). The centre of the cyclone contains light winds, and it is also of clouds, but there is a region of a cloud of size about \(150\;\rm{km}\) around this calm and clear eye. Around the centre, there are high-speed winds \((150–250\;\rm{km/h})\) and thick clouds with heavy rain. Wind speed gradually decreases away from this region. We can call a cyclone by different names, such as ‘hurricane’ in the American continent and typhoon.’ in the Philippines and Japan.

What causes Cyclones?

Cyclones are generally centred in areas of low atmospheric pressure, usually over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm moist air over the ocean rises from the surface upward, resulting in the formation of the low-pressure zone over the surface. In the surrounding region, air with higher pressure pushes into the low-pressure area. The cool air rises again after becoming warm and moist. Thus the cycle continues. Then, the clouds are formed when the moisture in the air cools down and the warm air rises. Then the whole system grows gradually and becomes fast with time and, an eye is created in the centre, as shown in the figure below.

Destruction caused by Cyclones

Cyclones can be very destructive. Strong winds push water towards the shore. These are the first sign of occurring of cyclone. The water surface in the centre got lifted by the low pressure in the eye. The rising water as high as \(3-13\) meters appears like a water-wall moving towards the shore. As a result, seawater enters the low-lying coastal areas, causing severe loss of life and property. Due to this, the fertility of the soil gets reduced, and continuous heavy rainfall may create floods and worsen the situation. A cyclone causing tremendous loss of life and property such as destruction of houses, telephones and other communication systems doesn’t work, trees get fell, etc.

Tornado

A tornado occurs within a cyclone. It is in the shape of a dark rotating funnel that sucks in debris, dust, and everything at the bottom and throws all of them out at the top. Its diameter ranges from a meter to a kilometre with speeds of up to \(300\;\rm{km/hr}\).

Measures of Safety from Tornado

1. There should be a cyclone forecast and warning system.
2. There should be rapid warning systems to inform the governments, fishers, and people in prone zones.
3. There should be a construction of cyclone shelters to get protected
4. There should be a rapid evacuation scheme.

Summary

The air around us exerts pressure. Air on heating it expands and on cooling it contracts. Warm air rises, and cooler sinks towards the Earth’s surface. As warm air rises, air pressure is reduced, and the cooler air moves to that place. The moving air is called wind. Winds carrying water vapour bring rain. High-speed winds and air pressure differences can cause cyclones. We can monitor cyclones with the help of some advanced technology such as satellites and radars. Self-help is the best help. So when a cyclone approaches, you should be ready with defence against it.

FAQ’s on Winds, Storms, and Cyclones

Q.1. What is the effect of heat on air?
Ans: When the air gets heated, it expands and occupies more space. It becomes lighter, and when we cool air, it gets contracted. That’s why warm air is lighter than cold air.

Q.2. What are the other names of a cyclone?
Ans: Hurricane and typhoon are the other names of the cyclone.

Q.3. What are the factors responsible for the increase of speed of wind or cyclones?
Ans: Some factors like wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity contribute to the development of cyclones.

Q.4. What are cyclones, and how are they formed?
Ans: High-speed winds and air pressure differences cause cyclones. When the water vapour changes back to liquid by the release of heat, it is formed. When this released heat warms the surrounding air, it rises, and more air rushes to the vacant place. Thus, a cyclone is formed.

Q.5. How is the pressure difference created in nature?
Ans: The air above the surface of the Earth gets warm when the light from the sun falls on the Earth’s surface, and then this air becomes lightweight and moves upward. Thus, the pressure difference is created.

NCERT Solutions for Chapter: Winds Storms and Cyclones

We hope you find this article on ‘Winds, Storms, and Cyclones‘ helpful. In case of any queries, you can reach back to us in the comments section, and we will try to solve them. 

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