What are the causes and effects of severe weather like thunderstorms hurricanes and tornadoes?

Answer 1

Thunderstorms arise from what is called convective instability which is a condition in which a parcel of air will become warmer than its surroundings if lifted. As the air rises it cools and the moisture in it condenses, forming clouds and eventually precipitation. The condensation also releases energy. Most thunderstorms are not severe. Thunderstorms are an important source of rainwater in many regions, and so are vital to life. In some cases the rain can lead to flooding. Lighting can kill people and animals, destroy trees, and start fires. Severe thunderstorms canse produce large hail that can damage crops and property and can kill and injure people and animals. Damaging wind gusts can also be dangerous. Severe thunderstorms can also produce tornadoes.

A tornado is a product of a thunderstorm, with most coming from an especially powerful type of storm called a supercell. Supercells develop when wind shear, differences in wind speed and direction wit altitude, sets the updraft of the storm rotating, turning it into a mesocyclone. This mesocyclone can tighten and intensify to form a tornado. A tornado produces violent winds that, in some cases, can severely damage or destroy man-made structures and pose a very serious threat to life and property. In some cases entire towns may be destroyed with dozens, or in very rare cases, hundreds killed. Large swaths may be essentially deforested.

Hurricanes (generically known as tropical cyclones) are the result of clusters of thunderstorms that organize and intensify as they feed on the evaporation of warm ocean water. These are large storm systems that produce torrential rain and violent winds. Even when they don strike land, hurricanes create large ocean waves that can pose a hazard to boats and create rip currents on nearby shores. When they hit land, the wind pushes the ocean onto shore in what is called the storm surge. This can cause severe coastal flooding. The rain on top of that can lead to severe inland flooding. 90% of people who die in hurricanes drown. The winds of hurricanes can also cause significant damage, though it is rarely as severe as damage from significant tornadoes. Thunderstorms in a hurricane's rain bands may becomes severe, with tornadoes being a common threat.