EARTH SCIENCE

LESSON 3 | UNDERSTANDING TYPHOONS

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Weather - describes the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time e.g., from
day to day or week to week, while climate describes average conditions over a longer
period of time. Step outside and you experience many facets of weather. Humidity, air
temperature and pressure, wind speed and direction, cloud cover and type, and the
amount and form of precipitation are all atmospheric characteristics of the momentary
conditions we call weather.

The sun is ultimately responsible for the weather. Its rays are absorbed differently by land
and water surfaces (equal amounts of solar radiation heat the ground more quickly than
they do water). Differential warming, in turn, causes variations in the temperature and
pressure of overlying air masses.

As an air mass warms, it becomes lighter and rises higher into the atmosphere. As an air
mass cools, it becomes heavier and sinks. Pressure differences between masses of air
generate winds, which tend to blow from high-pressure areas to areas of low pressure.
Fast-moving, upper atmosphere winds known as jet streams help move weather systems
around the world.

Large weather systems called cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern

Hemisphere (clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere); they are also called “lows,” because
their centers are low-pressure areas. Clouds and precipitation are usually associated with
these systems. Anticyclones, or “highs,” rotate in the opposite direction and are
high-pressure areas - usually bringing clearer skies and more settled weather.

The boundary between two air masses is called a weather front. Here, wind, temperature,
and humidity change abruptly, producing atmospheric instability. When things get “out of

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balance” in the atmosphere, storms develop, bringing rain or snow and sometimes thunder
and lightning too.

The weather you experience is influenced by many factors, including your location’s
latitude, elevation, and proximity to water bodies. Even the degree of urban development,
which creates “heat islands,” and the amount of snow cover, which chills an overlying air
mass, play important roles.

Climate - describes average conditions over a longer period of time. The climate of an area
or country is known through the average weather over a long period of time. If an area has
more dry days throughout the year than wet days, it would be described as a dry climate; a
place which has more cold days than hot days would make it known to have a cold climate.

TROPICAL CYCLONES

Tropical cyclones - also known as typhoons or hurricanes, are among the most destructive
weather phenomena. They are intense circular storms that originate over warm tropical
oceans, and have maximum sustained wind speeds exceeding 119 kilometers per hour and
heavy rains. However, the greatest damage to life and property is not from the wind, but
from secondary events such as storm surges, flooding, landslides and tornadoes.

Tropical cyclones are referred to by different names depending on where they originate in
the world.

Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern North Pacific Ocean.

Typhoons occur in the western Pacific Ocean.

Tropical cyclones occur in the South Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.

Tropical cyclones are warm-core low pressure systems associated with a spiral inflow of
mass at the bottom level and spiral outflow at the top level. They always form over oceans
where sea surface temperature and air temperatures are greater than 26°C. The air
accumulates large amounts of sensible and latent heat as it spirals towards the center. It
receives this heat from the sea and the exchange can occur rapidly, because of the large

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amount of spray thrown into the air by the wind. The energy of the tropical cyclone is thus
derived from the massive liberation of the latent heat of condensation.

Tropical cyclone is defined as a non-frontal, synoptic-scale cyclone developing over tropical

and subtropical waters at any level and having a definitely organized circulation. In other
parts of the world, these are referred to as hurricanes, typhoons or simply tropical cyclones
depending on the region.

REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION

There are six main requirements for tropical cyclogenesis: Sufficiently warm sea surface
temperatures, atmospheric instability, high humidity in the lower to middle levels of the
troposphere, enough Coriolis force to sustain a low-pressure center, a preexisting low-level
focus or disturbance, and low vertical wind shear.

The surface of the ocean must be warm - Warm ocean waters (of at least 26.5°C [80°F])
throughout a sufficient depth (unknown how deep, but at least on the order of 50 m [150
ft]). Warm waters are necessary to fuel the heat engine of the tropical cyclone.

There must be a forming circulation in the Low Levels - Whether it be a depression in the
intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), a tropical wave, a broad surface front, or an outflow
boundary, a low-level feature with sufficient vorticity and convergence is required to begin
tropical cyclogenesis. This feature is known to be a Low-Level Circulation Center.

Atmospheric instability or Humidity - An atmosphere which cools fast enough with height
such that it is potentially

unstable to moist convection. It is the thunderstorm activity which allows the heat stored in
the ocean waters to be liberated for tropical cyclone development. Relatively moist layers
near the mid-troposphere (5 km [3 mi]). Dry mid-levels are not conducive for allowing the
continuing development of widespread thunderstorm activity.

An Outflow or exhaust point must be established - The winds blow in cyclonically in the
lower level of a typhoon and then burst out in the opposite direction in the upper levels of
the typhoon, thus providing exhaust. It also is termed as Divergence. High divergence levels

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in the upper reaches of the atmosphere show that the storm is properly stacked upright
like a pancake! Once this occurs, intensification is much possible.

The developing storm must be 5 degrees from the equator - A minimum distance of at least
500 km [300 mi] from the equator. For tropical cyclogenesis to occur, there is a
requirement for non-negligible amounts of the Coriolis force to provide for near gradient
wind balance to occur. Without the Coriolis force, the low pressure of the disturbance
cannot be maintained.The Coriolis force imparts rotation on the flow and arises as winds
begin to flow in toward the lower pressure created by the pre-existing disturbance. In areas
with a very small or non-existent Coriolis force (e.g. near the Equator), the only significant
atmospheric forces in play are the pressure gradient force (the pressure difference that
causes winds to blow from high to low pressure and a smaller friction force; these two
alone would not cause the large-scale rotation required for tropical cyclogenesis. The
existence of a significant Coriolis force allows the developing vortex to achieve gradient
wind balance. This is a balance condition found in mature tropical cyclones that allows
latent heat to concentrate near the storm core; this results in the maintenance or
intensification of the vortex if other development factors are neutral.

Wind shear must be below 20-30 kph - values (less than about 10 m/s [20 kts 23 mph]) of
vertical wind shear between the surface and the upper troposphere. Vertical wind shear is
the magnitude of wind change with height. Large values of vertical wind shear disrupt the
incipient tropical cyclone and can prevent genesis, or, if a tropical cyclone has already
formed, large vertical shear can weaken or destroy the tropical cyclone by interfering with
the organization of deep convection around the cyclone center.

The four stages of the life history of a cyclone are:

FORMATIVE STAGE - The incipient stage when the tropical cyclone forms in waves and in
shear lines of Pre-existing disturbances and winds usually remain below the typhoon force.

IMMATURE STAGE - The deepening stage of the cyclone during which it continues to
deepen until the lowest central pressure and the maximum wind intensity are reached.
However, intensification does not usually take place since some have been known to die
down even though the winds have attained typhoon force.

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MATURE STAGE - The stage of maturity of the tropical cyclones where the areas of
circulation expands while the surface pressure no longer falls and no increase in maximum
winds speed can be observed which may last for a week.

DECAYING STAGE - The dissipating stage of the tropical cyclone where the surface pressure
rises and the area affected by the cyclones diminishes in size as it recurves or dissipate due
to friction and lack of moisture over continents or when colder and drier air enters through
when they go poleward.

CLASSIFICATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Tropical cyclones derive their energy from the latent heat of condensation which made
them exist only over the oceans and die out rapidly on land. One of its distinguishing
features is it having a central sea-level pressure of 900 mb or lower and surface winds
often exceeding 100 knots. They reach their greatest intensity while located over warm
tropical waters and they begin to weaken as they move inland. The intensity of tropical
cyclones varies; thus, we can classify them based upon their degree of intensity.

ANATOMY OF A CYCLONE

THE EYE – Characterized by light winds and clear skies. Diameter of the eye is often 40km
but can range from under 10km to over 100km.

EYE WALL – A dense ring of cloud which is approximately 16km high. It marks the region of
strongest winds and heaviest rainfall.

RAIN BANDS – Bands of heavy convective showers which spiral inwards towards the eye.

EFFECTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONE

● STRONG WINDS
● TORNADOES
● RAINFALL AND FLOODING
● STORM SURGE

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HOW TYPHOONS DEVELOP

● Typhoons start off as tropical thunderstorms. The strong winds pull in moisture
from the oceans.
● The thunderstorms convert the moisture into heat. The heat causes more air to flow
to thAll the heat and air flow toward the eye
● creating the typhoon.e center of the storm causing evaporation.

Typhoon tracking

Accurate track prediction depends in the position and strength of high-and low-pressure
areas, and on how those areas will migrate during the lifetime of a tropical system.
Computer forecast models aid in determining this motion at least 5 to 7 days ahead. An
accurate track forecast is essential because if the track forecast goes wrong, the intensity,
rainfall, storm surge, and tornado threat will also be incorrect.

Why the Philippines is prone to typhoons

The Philippines archipelago is strategically located within the typhoon belt of the Pacific,
lying within the proximity of the Intertropical Convergent Zone (ITCZ) where trade winds
converge and storms commonly form within the western Pacific. Other countries that lie
within the ITCZ are also prone to typhoons. There are about 20 typhoons passing through
the country each year within the months, but limited to the period, June to November.

How long does a typhoon last in the Philippines?

They last for about six days, in general, before they enter the land or reach subtropical
latitudes. However, some can be detected only a few hours or perhaps a day or two, while
others are observed as long as a fortnight. How landforms and bodies of water affect
typhoons within the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR)

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How does the landform and bodies of water affect
typhoons?

Landforms tend to affect wind direction and therefore disrupt the spin of a typhoon and it
gets dissolved or weakens typhoons because of the lack of water to supply the needed
moisture in the air. When the same air mass descends on the other side of the mountain, it
contains a minimal amount of water vapor.