Is water a FRIEND or a FOE?

HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
HAZARDS
Every year, the
Philippines
experiences an
average of
twenty tropical
cyclones, a
fraction of which
being more
destructive than
the others.
TYPHOONS
 TYPHOONS
• A tropical cyclone is an organized, rotating
system of clouds and thunderstorms that
initially form over tropical ocean waters.

The exact same phenomenon is called

different names depending on where it
originated.
 TYPHOONS
• Typhoons are formed over the
northwest Pacific. In the Atlantic and
the east Pacific, the term hurricane is
used, while in the Indian Ocean and
south Pacific, it is simply referred to as ​
tropical cyclone​.
TROPICAL CYCLONE INTENSITY SCALE
THUNDERSTORMS
 THUNDERSTORMS

• A thunderstorm is weather condition

characterized by heavy rain and wind
accompanied by lightning​, thunder​;
sometimes with hail and tornadoes​. It
can last for 30 minutes to several hours.
 THUNDERSTORMS
• Convection is the key mechanism in
thunderstorm formation. Warm air near the
ground rises and cooler air sinks. Warm
surface air will continue to rise since it is less
dense than the surrounding air. The rising air
is called updraft​, while the downward moving
air is called downdraft​. Thunderstorms form
when there is a balance of updrafts and
downdrafts.
 TYPES OF THUNDERSTORMS
• A single cell thunderstorm is a short-lived
storm consists of a single updraft-downdraft
couplet. It is capable of producing heavy
rainfall and lightning.
• A multi-cell thunderstorm is a system of
individual cells. Each cell usually lasts for 30
minutes to an hour, while the entire system
can last for hours. Multi-cells may produce
hail, flood, and brief tornadoes.
 TYPES OF THUNDERSTORMS
• A supercell thunderstorm is a highly
organized thunderstorm with a large rotating
updraft that can be 20 km in diameter and 15
km in height. It can last for several hours and
produces violent tornadoes.
• A squall line is a group of storms arranged in
a straight line. It is shorter-lived than
multi-cells and supercells, and are less likely
SIGNS OF APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM

• An approaching thunderstorm has apparent

warning signs, such as gentle warm air
suddenly replaced by strong, chilly bursts of
wind, lightning strikes accompanied by
deafening thunder, and abrupt, intense rain.
Apart from these observable indicators, there
are forecasts and weather bulletins to let you
know of any impending thunderstorms.
 When a thunderstorm is imminent, you can do the following:

• Stay indoors and make sure windows, doors, or other

openings are locked;
• Seek shelter. A car is ideal for this purpose because it
lets the current bounce around its walls, not because
the rubber tires keep the charges away;
• Unplug electrical appliances and avoid using corded
phones or any gadget physically connected to the
wires outside. It is safe to use cellular phones and
remote controls;
 When a thunderstorm is imminent, you can do the following:

• Avoid any contact with water. This includes

bathing and washing your hands;
• If on water, get to land immediately; and
• If in an open field, keep distance from trees/high
points because they have a higher possibility of
being struck by lightning.
FLOODING
 FLOODING
• Flooding is when areas usually not
covered by water are engulfed or
submerged. It is usually caused by a
temporary rise in or overflowing of
streams, rivers, or confined bodies of
water.
 FLOODING
• It may also be caused by heavy and
prolonged rainfall, tsunamis, and
storm surges​. Failure of manmade
structures such as dams and clogging
of drainage systems are also common
causes of flooding.
 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
FLOODING
• SURFACE RUNOFF​- The water that
does not enter the soil and moves
downslope, is more dominant in
impermeable materials such as clay,
or in cases where the soil is too
saturated to allow infiltration.
 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE
FLOODING
• Runoff (and consequently, the likelihood
of flooding) is high in urban areas since
much of the ground is covered by
concrete and such places are often
situated in flat, low-lying topographies.
Vegetation lessens runoff, as it absorbs
water and improves the ability of the
ground to take in more moisture.
 Flood
Hazard
Mapping
STORM SURGES
 STORM SURGES
• A storm surge is an abnormal rise in
seawater level during a storm.
Similar to tsunami formation, the
water undergoes wave shoaling​.
 Factors that Affect Occurrence and Severity
of a Storm Surge

• The severity of a storm surge is dependent

on factors such as strength and speed of
the storm, shape and characteristics of the
coast, angle of approach of the storm to
the coast, and width and slope of the
continental shelf.
 Factors that Affect Occurrence and Severity
of a Storm Surge

• Naturally, stronger storms cause more

destructive storm surges. Fast moving
storms generate more storm surges on
straight coastlines while slow moving
ones have a greater effect on bays and
estuaries.
 Factors that Affect Occurrence and Severity
of a Storm Surge

• Bays and coasts that bow inward are more

likely to experience larger storm surges
than coasts that bow outward. Bays or
other similar coastline geometries
concentrate the accumulated water in a
smaller area.
EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA
 EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA
• El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cold
phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (​
ENSO​) cycle​. The ENSO cycle refers to the
changes in oceanic and atmospheric
temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. It
significantly affects not only ocean processes,
but also rainfall, wind, and tropical cyclone
patterns.
 EL NIÑO
• El Niño is a Spanish term that translates to “The
Little Boy” or “Christ Child.” It was originally
observed in Southern America as unusually
warm seawater.
• El Niño in the Philippines usually starts between
December and February. While this phenomenon
brings fewer and less intense storms, it is also
associated with severe dry spells or droughts
which can be just as damaging.
 WHAT TO DO DURING EL NIÑO
• Stay hydrated.
• Prepare a specific amount of running water
used for brushing or bathing.
• Collect rainwater whenever possible but make
sure your containers are properly covered to
keep mosquitoes from breeding there.
• Reuse water from laundry/cooking to clean
bathrooms, wash your car, or water the plants.
 LA NIÑA
• La Niña​, meaning “The Little Girl,” is
characterized by sea surface temperatures
lower than average.
• During La Niña, the air pressure is higher
than normal in the central and eastern
Pacific. These high-pressure zones cause
decreased cloud production and rainfall, and
consequently, drier climate.
 LA NIÑA
• The air pressure conditions in the western
Pacific are opposite of those in the central
and east. Increased rainfall is observed in
Southeast Asia as a result of lower-than-
normal air pressure.

• La Niña in the Philippines causes an increase

in rice output. However, it is also correlated
with destructive typhoons, heavy rainfall,
and associated landslides and floods.