What are the three major types of severe weather? The Chateau Boswell Winery goes up in flames as the so-called Glass Fire tears through Napa Valley.
In this webpage we discuss some of the most frequent types of severe weather hazards, including tornadoes, lightning, flash flooding and hail. Within this topic, we discuss tornadoes, lightning, hail, flash flooding, and downbursts. Flash flooding concerns remain high through late summer.
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Damage from derechos can be tens of miles wide and hundreds of miles long. Figure I: Microburst Damage, notice how all the trees are blown down in one direction (Image from the National Weather Service).
Many types of severe weather affect life and property in the Southeast U.S. The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This year, however, the monsoon has been generally missing so far and has led to growing drought and record heat in the Southwest.
Depending on the size of the downburst, we either call it a microburst or a macroburst.
Severe weather, including tornadoes, ... Below, we take a closer look at what types of severe weather can create havoc in the Lower 48 as the warm months come to a close.
They are highly damaging to crops, earning the nickname “the white plague”. Hailstones are chunks of ice that fall from strong thunderstorms. Four types of weather include: tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and snowstorms. It can be hard to depict tornado or downburst damage from the ground, but if observing it from the air (like a helicopter or plane), it becomes quite easy to tell what caused the damage.
Additionally, all but one state (Virginia) rank in the top 10 for lightning fatalities by state. This could be due to the fact that as the population increases and spreads out, the chance of someone observing and reporting a tornado will increase as well. These factors include: an atmosphere that is warmer and more humid in areas east of the Rockies; the Southwest monsoon is active; and hurricanes can bring tropical moisture. This is the time of year when conditions become most favorable for hurricanes, and it is often when the most powerful and destructive hurricanes occur. Tornadoes range in strength from the very small tornadoes with wind speeds up to 75 miles per hour and brief appearances to the strongest tornadoes, with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour and funnel widths of up to a mile in diameter.
When tropical cyclones track close to land, numerous impacts, including heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, tornadoes and rip currents, can result. Flash flooding in the Southeast usually occurs when a large amount of rain falls in an area over a short period of time.
A type of roof in which two sides form an "A" shape. The ground can only soak up so much water in a given time, and when the rain rate exceeds what can infiltrate into the ground, flooding is likely to occur. During a span of 10 years (1999-2008), 149 people have died in the Southeast from lightning strikes. The small tornadoes are the most frequently seen but cause little damage unless they hit a vulnerable structure.
A flash flood is usually caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than six hours. Basically, the wind that causes the damage usually comes from just one direction and is not twisting or turning (like a tornado). (Image from the National Severe Storms Laboratory).
Below, we take a closer look at what types of severe weather can create havoc in the Lower 48 as the warm months come to a close.
Tampa, Florida is considered the lightning capital of the world due to the amount of thunderstorms they experience each year. Hurricanes also affect life and property in both the direct effects of the strong winds and the coastal storm surge which can inundate property near the shoreline.