A storm is any disturbed state of an environment or in an astronomical body’s atmosphere especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation (snowstorm, rainstorm), heavy freezing rain (ice storm), strong winds (tropical cyclone, windstorm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere as in a dust storm, blizzard, sandstorm, etc.
Storms, a natural phenomenon caused by violent atmospheric disturbances occurring over land, and water, represent a major potential threat to the entire population of the earth because of their prevalence, the size of areas devastated, and the scale of the resulting damage.
The English word comes from the word “sturmaz” meaning “noise, tumult”.
Storms are created when a center of low pressure develops with the system of high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds such as cumulonimbus. Small localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smaller disturbances such as dust devils, and whirlwinds.
A storm surge is a rise in sea level that occurs during tropical cyclones, intense storms also known as typhoons or hurricanes.
1. Blizzard – A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds of at least 56 km/h (35mph) and lasting for a prolonged period of time – typically 3 hours or more. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling but loose snow on the ground is lifted and blown by strong winds.
2. Bomb cyclones – This is a rapid deepening of a mid-latitude cyclonic low-pressure area, typically occurring over the ocean, but can occur over land. The winds experienced during these storms can be as powerful as that of a typhoon or hurricane.
3. Coastal storm – Large wind waves and/or storm surge that strike the coastal zone are called a coastal storm. Their impacts include coastal erosion and coastal flooding.
4. Derecho – Derechos are fast-moving bands of thunderstorms with destructive winds. The winds can be as strong as those found in hurricanes or even tornadoes! Unlike hurricanes and tornadoes, these winds follow straight lines. These windstorms tend to form in the late spring and summer.
5. Dust devil – Dust devils are small, upward rotating columns of air that we can see because of the dust and debris they pick up from the ground.
6. Dust storm – A dust storm is a wall of dust and debris that is blown into an area by strong winds from thunderstorms. The wall of dust created by a dust storm can be miles long and several thousand feet high. Dust storms happen in many places around the world. Most of the world’s dust storms occur over the Middle East and North Africa.
7. Firestorm – A firestorm is a huge and destructive fire that produces its own wind system. It is a natural occurrence that develops during some of the most significant wildfires and bushfires. A firestorm is created as a result of the “chimney effect” as the heat of the original fire draws in more and more of the surrounding air.
8. Gale – An extratropical storm with sustained winds between 34-48 knots (39-55 mph or 63-90 km/h).
9. Hailstorm – A type of storm in which balls of ice, called hail, fall from the sky. Hailstorms usually occur during regular thunderstorms.
10. Hypercane – A hypercane is an extreme type of tropical cyclone which forms in extremely warm waters (around 50°C/122°F). This temperature increase is usually caused by super-volcanic eruptions, extensive global warming, or a large comet or asteroid impact. This storm has a recorded wind speed of 247 mph (397 km/h).
11. Ice storm – Ice storms are one of the most dangerous forms of winter storms. An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm that results in the accumulation of at least 0.25-inch (6.4mm) of ice on exposed surfaces.
12. Microburst – A localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. Microbursts can cause extensive damage at the surface, and in some instances can be life-threatening. There are two primary types of microbursts – 1) wet microbursts and 2) dry microbursts. Wet microbursts are accompanied by significant precipitation.
13. Ocean storm or sea storm – Storm conditions out at sea are defined as having sustained winds of 48 knots (55 mph or 90 km/h) or greater.
14. Snowstorm – A heavy fall of snow accumulating at a rate of more than 5 centimeters (2 inches) per hour that lasts several hours.
15. Squall – A sudden wind-speed increase of at least 16 knots (30 km/h) or more, for one minute or longer. It includes several briefer wind-speed changes or gusts. A squall is often named for the weather phenomenon that accompanies it, such as rain, hail, or thunder. Sudden onset of wind increase of at least 16 knots (30 km/h) or greater sustained for at least one minute.
16. Thunderstorm – A thunderstorm is a type of storm that generated both lightning and thunder. It is normally accompanied by precipitation. Thunderstorms occur throughout the world, with the highest frequency in tropical rainforest regions where there are conditions of high humidity and temperature along with atmospheric instability. Thunderstorms occur when high levels of condensation form in a volume of unstable air that generates deep, rapid, upward motion in the atmosphere.
17. Tornado – A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. Usually, its appearance is that of a dark, funnel-shaped cloud. Often, tornadoes are preceded by or associated with thunderstorms and a wall cloud. They are often called the most destructive storms.
18. Tropical cyclone – Tropical cyclone, also called typhoon or hurricane, is an intense circular storm that originates over warm tropical oceans and is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain.
19. Wind storm— A storm marked by high wind with little or no precipitation.
1. A drop in temperature – If there is either a gradual or sharp drop from warm to cool, it might indicate that a storm is rapidly approaching. This is due to the warm, humid air from below colliding with the cold, dry air from up above. When this happens, it creates the optimal conditions for storms to form, which is why there many nighttime thunderstorms in the summer.
2. Large, billowy clouds – Large, billowy clouds that continue to grow as the day heats up are known as cumulus clouds. They are a common summer cloud and usually grow at a faster rate vertically than horizontally. Once the collision of warm and cool temperatures reaches equilibrium with the surrounding air, the top of the cumulus cloud flattens and grows dark.
3. A drop in atmospheric pressure - If the barometric pressure decreases, that signals deterioration in the weather, resulting in storms usually about 12 to 24 hours later.
4. Darkening of the clouds - Clouds that indicate a storm may be coming might not always be black. Sometimes they can have different hues of green, yellow, and even purple. Clouds become dark and thick that they blot out the sun, which means a storm is coming.
5. A weather program predicts it - A confident sign that a storm is coming is if your local weather program is predicting it.
