Plenty of storms all over the world

09 December 2011 - 15:49
By Dr Know It All

POWERFUL storms such as thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes are the result of warm, light air rising quickly to higher, colder levels in an unstable updraft that can reach speeds of more than 160km/h.

Each type of storm forms under particular conditions. Hurricanes occur over moisture-rich oceans and coastlines, for example. At any moment there are about 2 000 thunderstorms in progress over the earth.

These storms can vary from relatively mild rainstorms to very destructive storms with hail and high wind.

learner.org; chaseday.com; wikipedia.org