Hurricanes

Interlinked Thematic Vocabulary Unit Nº 329 v.1

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     Main Definitions

1. hurricane 1 |n| a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.
2. hurricane 2 |n| a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph.
3. major hurricane |n| an hurrican that has winds greater than 110 mph.
4. cyclone |n| a system of winds rotating inwards to an area of low barometric pressure, with an anticlockwise (northern hemisphere) or clockwise (southern hemisphere) circulation; a depression.
5. Fujiwhara effect |n| occurs when two tropical cyclones orbit around one another.
6. storm |n| a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow.
7. "A storm blew in off the ocean."
8. "A storm had been brewing all day."
9. superstorm |n| a powerful and destructive storm that affects a very large area.
10. "Britain faces a growing threat from superstorms that could bring at least 10% more rain than today's worst downpours."
11. typhoon |n| a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans.

Hurricane Parts

1. eyewall |n| is the band or ring of cumulonimbus clouds that surround the eyeof the storm. The most severe weather of the hurricane occurs in the eyewall: Towering thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and high winds.
2. eye of the hurricane |n| a hole like area in the enter of a tropical cyclone marked only by light winds or complete calm, with no precipitación.

     Hurricanes Categories

1. hurricane categories |n| are a naming convention system. Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on the intensities of their sustained winds, which is known as the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
2. Category 1 |n| winds speeds of 74-95 mph; very dangerous winds will produce some damage,
3. Category 2 |n| wind speeds of 96-110 mph; extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage
4. Category 3 |n| wind speeds of  111-129 mph; devastating damage will occur
5. Category 4 |n| wind speeds of  130-156 mph; catastrophic damage will occur
6. Category 5 |n| wind speeds greater than 156 mph; catastrophic damage will occur and most areas will be uninhabitable

     Tropical Storms

1. tropical cyclone |n|  a general term for warm weather storm systems that occur over tropical waters, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, and typhoons. A cyclone has a well-defined center, and rotates counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. tropical depression |n|  a tropical cyclone with a maximum sustained wind speed of less than 39 mph.
3. tropical storm 1 |n| a localized, very intense low-pressure wind system, forming over tropical oceans and with winds of hurricane force.
4. "Where required, MINUSTAH military engineers will play a critical enabling role by clearing debris, improving drainage, preparing alternative sites for at-risk settlements and ensuring that access routes remain open throughout the hurricane season."
5. tropical storm 2 |n| a tropical storm is a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained wind speeds between 39 mph and 73 mph.

     Wind Element

1. gale |n| a very strong wind."I slept well despite the howling gales outside.
2. squall |n| a sudden violent gust of wind or localized storm, especially one bringing rain, snow, or sleet.
3. "A wind of force 12 on the Beaufort scale (equal to or exceeding 64 knots or 118 km/h)."
4. tempest |n| a violent windy storm.
5. "A raging tempest."
6. tornado / whirlwind |n|a mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system.
7. windstorm |n| a storm with very strong wind but little or no rain or snow; a gale.
8. maximum sustained winds |n| is the standard measure of a tropical cyclone’s intensity. It refers to the highest one-minute average wind speed (at an elevation of 10 meters with an unobstructed exposure) associated with that weather system at a particular point in time.

     Meteorologycal Elements

1. flood |n| an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is normally dry land.
2. "In a thousand miles the flood destroyed every bridge."
3. "The powerful hurricane, with a storm surge of waters topping six meters, flooded an estimated 230,000 square km in the southern U.S. states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on August 29."
4. "Even after the hurricane and after flood waters recede, roads may be weakened and could collapse."
5. radius of maximum winds |n|  is the distance from the center of a tropical cyclone to the location of the cyclone’s maximum winds. In well-developed hurricanes, the radius of maximum winds is typically at the inner edge of the eyewall.
6. tropical depression |n| a region of low Barometric pressure.

     Oceanographycal Elements

1. storm surge |n| is the rise in sea levels following a hurricane or major storm, where the height is the difference between the observed sea level and the level the water would be without a cyclone. Storm surge is usually estimated by subtracting the normal high tide from the observed storm tide.
2. storm tide |n| is the actual level of sea water resulting from the normal tide combined with the storm surge.

     Some Geographycal Elements

1. coastline |n| a line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake.
2. open-water |n| an expanse of an ocean, sea, or large lake which is distant from shore and devoid of nearby islands or other obstructions.
3. "Hurricane Tomás passed over the Turks and Caicos islands toward open waters on Nov. 6, leading the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami to downgrade it to a tropical storm."
4. "Fourthly, there is also concern in Baltic states about the limitations related to the control and supervision of fishing in open waters, which has been occurring for years and has been difficult to eliminate."
5. "It is known Audacia is a life saving  vessel designed for open waters and as such should be a vessel oriented towards stability."

     Colateral Elements

1. hurricane evacuation |n| the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hurricane. Local authorities in a predicted hurricane path often recommend or order evacuation of designated flood zones.
2. "Refer to the County Hurricane Evacuation Map."
3. "In order to complete the Business Continuity Plan, you may need additional information regarding vulnerability to specific hazards (i.e., hurricane evacuation zones, flood zones, locations of storage of extremely hazardous materials, etc."
4. "The project, worth 700 million dollars, will involve the construction of a long bridge over marshy areas, linking the NC 12 state highway with the US 158 interstate highway. In addition to building approach roads and toll facilities for the bridge, Dragados will be responsible for road improvements over four miles on NC 12, south of the bridge, and on the interstate highway, so as to facilitate emergency hurricane evacuation."
5. hurricane warning |n| an announcement that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are expected somewhere within the specified area in association with a tropical storm.
6. hurricane watch |n| an announcement that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are possible within the specified area in association with a tropical storm.
7. monsoon |n| is not a storm, but a large-scale, seasonal wind shift over a region accompanied by large amplitude seasonal changes in precipitation (whether heavy rains or draught).

     People

1. forecaster |n| a person who predicts or estimates a future event or trend.
2. meteorologist |n| a specialist who studies processes in the earth's atmosphere that cause weather conditions.
3. rescuer |n| a person who saves someone from a dangerous or difficult situation.
4. "All reached safety and thanked their rescuers."