Climatic Hazards-Causes,Impacts and Response

Strong winds are largely caused by differences in pressure over areas of the land. Wind direction is always from low pressure to high pressure as if a high pressure system is dominant over an area the air can only rise and once it has risen the only place for it to move is to a low pressure area. This determines how fast or weak the winds are.

The closer the isobars are the quicker the air can move from high to low pressure thus the winds are stronger.

Very strong winds can be found around the equator because the intense heating of the land means that the air rises more quickly. Hurricanes form in this area near the Americas. They develop as hot seawater, which can acquire temperatures of 27’c or above, heats the air above it. As this air starts to rise it draws moisture up form the sea like a vacuum. An area of intense low pressure is formed in the centre, this is called the eye of the storm and is an area of calm. As air is sucked up to replace the rising air, winds of about 150-200kph initiate. Cumulo nimbus clouds form and torrential rain starts to fall. The sea is a constant form of strength for them as more and more

The Inter Tropical Convergence zone moves northwards in summer and takes moist unstable air with it which has come from over the sea. Heavy rain falls near the coast but due to the high pressure, which moves down from the northeast which prevents the rain from falling, the amount of rain decreases inland. The cumulo nimbus clouds are pushed back towards the coast and the weather conditions are dominated by dry stable air.

On the opposite end of the scale in since 1999 a drought had been forming in East Africa and millions of people have been placed in danger of starvation as crops failed due to lack of precipitation. The general welfare, health and nutrition of around 16million people was in the balance and the local governments who are relatively poor couldn’t cope with the demand of food and healthcare etc. This is why outside agencies such as UNICEF help with emergency supplies of food and there are ongoing projects to install water pumps so even when there is a drought situation people will have access to water. They also give out high energy biscuits to as many women and children as possible and the vaccination of children is also on their lists.

b) Discuss the human impact and response to these two hazards in named regional examples.

Healthcare service are often very poor in LEDC’s due to the lack of money meaning there are sometimes thousands of people to one doctor and medical supplies are in short supply also.

Amid fears of the force of the tornado when it was detected thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, however the storm took 36 lives, possibly more no-one knows the exact figure due to the devastation it caused. Business’ and economies were hit badly as farm buildings and animals were caught up in the tornado.

Some topics in this essay:
, East Africa, Oklahoma Thousands, Tropical Convergence, Eastern Africa, According Newton's, Southern Hemisphere, Orissa India, East America, East Brazil, low pressure, loss life, thousands people, emergency supplies, due lack, strong winds, move low pressure, pressure pressure, move low, air sucked, climatic hazards, cumulo nimbus clouds, due lack precipitation,