Metrological Hazards

By:

Muhammad Waqar, ID-9778

Department of Civil Engineering

City University of Science & IT, Peshawar
Metrological Hazards

Meteorological hazards are weather-related events, such as

floods, droughts, landslides, tides, sea level rise, wind,
snow, frost, extreme temperature, hail, lightning and fire.
These are hazards related to atmospheric patterns or
conditions and are generally caused by weather factors such
as precipitation, temperature, wind speed, and humidity.
1.Tropical Cyclones
• A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-
pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and
a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain or squalls.
2.Monsoons
a seasonal prevailing wind
in the region of South and
SE Asia, blowing from the
south-west between May
and September and bringing
rain (the wet monsoon), or
from the north-east between
October and April (the dry
monsoon)
 3.Tornadoes
Tornadoes are vertical funnels of rapidly spinning air. Their winds
may top 250 miles an hour and can clear a pathway a mile wide and
50 miles long.
The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, nearly four times more
than estimated in all of Europe, excluding waterspouts.
4.Straight-line winds
A downburst is created by a column of sinking air that after hitting
ground level, spreads out in all directions and is capable of producing
damaging straight-line winds of over 240 km/h (150 mph), often
producing damage similar to, but distinguishable from, that caused
by tornadoes. This is because the physical properties of a downburst
are completely different from those of a tornado.
5.Ice storms
An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also
known as a glaze event or, in some parts of the United States, as a silver thaw.
The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which
results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch (6.4 mm) of ice on exposed
surfaces.
6.Severe winter storms (snowstorms)
Heavy showers of freezing rain are one of the most dangerous types of winter
storm. They typically occur when a layer of warm air hovers over a region, but
the ambient temperature a few meters above the ground is near or below 0 °C
(32 °F), and the ground temperature is sub-freezing.
7.Blizzards
Blizzard, severe weather condition that is distinguished by low temperatures,
strong winds, and large quantities of either falling or blowing snow.
The National Weather Service of the United States defines a blizzard as
a storm with winds of more than 56 km (35 miles) per hour for at least three
hours and enough snow to limit visibility to 0.4 km (0.25 mile) or less.
8.Hailstorms
• Hail is a form of precipitation — like rain or snow — that is made up of solid
ice.
• This is not the first time that storms with hail have been deadly. In fact,
history is full of accounts of deadly hailstorms.
9.Frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an
above freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose
temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor
(a gas) to ice (a solid) as the water vapor reaches the freezing point. In temperate
climates, it most commonly appears on surfaces near the ground as fragile white
crystals; in cold climates, it occurs in a greater variety of forms.
10. Extreme cold temperatures
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the
atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception.
A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00 K on
the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic temperature scale.
11. Extreme heat temperatures
High environmental temperatures can be dangerous to your body. In
the range of 90˚ and 105˚F (32˚ and 40˚C), you can experience heat
cramps and exhaustion. Between 105˚ and 130˚F (40˚ and 54˚C),
heat exhaustion is more likely.
12. Windstorms
Windstorm, a wind that is strong enough to cause at least light
damage to trees and buildings and may or may not be accompanied
by precipitation. Wind damage can be attributed to gusts (short bursts
of high-speed winds) or longer periods of stronger sustained winds.
13. Sandstorms
A dust storm, also called sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common
in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong
wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transported
by saltation and suspension, a process that moves soil from one place and
deposits it in another.
14. Wildfire
A wildfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, unwanted, uncontrolled
fire in an area of combustible vegetation starting in rural areas and urban areas.
Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire can also be classified
more specifically as a forest fire, brush fire, bushfire (in Australia), desert fire,
grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire.
15. Thunderstorms
Thunderstorm, a violent, short-lived weather disturbance that is
almost always associated with lightning, thunder, dense clouds,
heavy rain or hail, and strong, gusty winds. Thunderstorms arise
when layers of warm, moist air rise in a large, swift updraft to cooler
regions of the atmosphere.
THANKS