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Moist air is air that contains a large amount of water vapor. It takes a lot of energy to turn water into water vapor, and the same amount of energy gets released when it condenses back into a liquid. It is this energy released by condensation that powers thunderstorms and hurricanes. So in simple terms, moist air holds a lot of latent energy to power storms.
Dry air, by contrast holds much less energy, or at least much less that can go in to powering weather systems.
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Do tornadoes and hurricanes need low air pressure?
Yes. Tornadoes and hurricanes are both areas of low pressure.
Why are hurricanes most common in the warm summer months?
Hurricanes are powered by warm, moist air from tropical water. The moisture that hurricanes need is generally most abundant in the summer.
Why do tornadoes happen at sea?
Tornadoes actually generally form over land. Hurricanes form over the ocean because the amount of moisture they need only occurs over tropical ocean water.
Why don't hurricanes occur in the same months as tornadoes?
Tornadoes occur in all months, though it is true that the peaks of hurricane and tornado activity don't line up. Tornado acitivity usually peaks in the spring. At this time in the middle latitudes in North America, where most violent tornadoes occur, there are clashes a cool arctic air with warm tropical air that can give rise to strong thunderstorms. At the same time, strong upper level winds create wind shear that gives these storms the rotation they need to produce tornadoes. Hurricanes, by contrast, are tropical systems not powered by such clashes. They are fueled by moisture that evaporates from warm ocean water. Because the oceans take a long time to heat up and cool down, they are usually warmest in the late summer, making this the most favorable time for hurricanes. Additionally, summer is when upper level winds, and thus wind shear, are at their weakest. Wind shear often disrupts hurricanes. There is one final third factor. The disturbances that become hurricanes often originate from something called the intertropical convergence zone, a band of low pressure and storms often found near the equator. As the northern hemisphere heats up, it shifts north of the equator, to the point where storm clusters can develop a circulation that can turn them into hurricanes.
Why do hurricanes usually decrease in strength fairly rapidly as they move from the ocean to land?
Hurricanes need a continuous supply of very warm, moist air to maintain their strength. The amount of moisture needed can only be found over warm ocean water. When a hurricane moves over land it is cut off from the fuel supply.
Do tornadoes and hurricanes need low air pressure?
Yes. Tornadoes and hurricanes are both areas of low pressure.
Do tornadoes and hurricanes form over gulf coast waters?
Generally not. Hurricanes usually form far out at sea, and usually don't form in coastal waters as it can limit the supply of moisture that they need. Although hurricanes can form in the Gulf of Mexico it is more common for them to form elsewhere in the Atlantic and then move into the Gulf. Tornadoes don't need to form in coastal areas. In fact they can form almost anywhere. In the United States storm systems pull warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. This air fuels the storms that spawn tornadoes, but this air can be transported hundreds of miles away from the Gulf before it these thunderstorms develop.
What are some similarities between tornado's and hurricanes?
All are potentially dangerous types of storm that can produce strong winds and derive their energy from warm, moist air. It should be noted that tornadoes need thunderstorms in order to form.
What type of air does a tornado need in order to develop?
Generally tornadoes form near a boundary between warm, moist air and cool, dry air. The warm, moist air mass is more important as it provide the energy that fuels the storm.
Why are hurricanes most common in the warm summer months?
Hurricanes are powered by warm, moist air from tropical water. The moisture that hurricanes need is generally most abundant in the summer.
Why don't hurricanes develop over land?
Hurricanes need very warm moist air to form. The amount of moisture needed can only be found over warm ocean water.Hurricanes gain get their energy from the large amounts of moisture that eveporate from warm ocean water. There is not enough moisture over land for hurricanes to form or sustain themselves.
How does rising heat affect tornadoes?
In the simplest terms, rising masses of warm, moist air trigger thunderstorms. Tornadoes need thunderstorms to form.
Why are tornadoes and hurricanes studied by meteorologists?
By studying tornadoes and hurricanes we can gain a better understanding of them and improve out ability to predict them. This allows for better warnings for people that need them, which can save lives. There is also the matter of simple human curiosity of how the universe works.
What kind of water does a hurricane need to keep its strength?
Hurricanes needs warm water below them to keep their strength. Moist warm air rising from the sea is what builds hurricanes.
What do tornadoes need in the US from Canada?
It is commonly stated that the formation of tornadoes in the requires a cold air mass from Canada, though it is not absolutely necessary. The thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes in the U.S. most often form along a cold front, which develops when the air mass from Canada collides with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. In some outbreaks, however, the storms from along a dry line, which develops when dry air from the Rockies pushes forward, rather than cold air. In still other cases tornadoes develop from the rain bands of hurricanes, storms from sea breezes, and in rare cases, air mass thunderstorms, none of which involve colliding air masses.
What is the relationship between hail and tornadoes?
Hail is created by an updraft. Tornadoes need updrafts to develop. So the relationship is they both need updrafts. Hail can also be a warning sign of a tornado.
Why do tornadoes happen at sea?
Tornadoes actually generally form over land. Hurricanes form over the ocean because the amount of moisture they need only occurs over tropical ocean water.
