Стихийные бедствия метеорологического характера (ураганы, бури, смерчи, снежные заносы).

Ураганы, бури, смерчи - это чрезвычайно быстрое и сильное, нередко большой разрушительной силы и значительной продолжительности движение воздуха.

Ураган - спиралевидное движение воздушных масс разрушительной силы. Скорость ветра может достигать 125 км/час и более. По своему пагубному воздействию ураганы не уступают землетрясениям. Ураганный ветер разрушает прочные и сносит легкие строения, опустошает поля, обрывает провода, валит столбы линий электропередачи и связи, ломает и выворачивает с корнями деревья, топит суда, повреждает транспортные магистрали.

Бури - разновидность ураганов и штормов.

Смерч - циклоническая система ветров. Возникает обычно в грозовом облаке и затем распространяется в виде рукава к поверхности суши или моря. Высота смерча достигает иногда километра, диаметр у поверхности земли - от нескольких десятков до сотен метров. Это восходящие вихри быстро вращающегося воздуха, имеющие вид темного столба диаметром от нескольких метров до сотен метров с вертикальной, иногда и загнутой осью вращения. Смерч как бы "свешивается" из облака к земле в виде гигантской воронки. Его воронка вращается с огромной скоростью (до 800 км/ч). Это вращение, направленное по спирали вверх, служит причиной значительных разрушений особенно в городах, поселках. Внутри его давление всегда пониженное, поэтому туда засасываются любые предметы. Скорость перемещения смерча до 80 км/ч, по времени его длительность в среднем до получаса, но зарегистрированы и более длительные смерчи.

Reading.

A. Read the text and fill in the chart with the necessary information. 

B. Put at least one question to every paragraph of the text.

C. Translate the last 4 paragraphs into Russian using the dictionary.

 

Tornado

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. The windstorm is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology to name a weather system with a low-pressure area in the center around which winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), are more than two miles (3 km) in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).

  Various types of tornadoes include the multiple vortex tornado, landspout, and waterspout. Waterspouts are characterized by a spiraling funnel-shaped wind current, connecting to a large cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. They are generally classified as non-supercellular tornadoes that develop over bodies of water, but there is disagreement over whether to classify them as true tornadoes. These spiraling columns of air frequently develop in tropical areas close to the equator and are less common at high latitudes. Other tornado-like phenomena that exist in nature include the gustnado, dust devil, fire whirl, and steam devil.

Tornadoes occur most frequently in North America, particularly in central and southeastern regions of the United States colloquially known as tornado alley, as well as in Southern Africa, northwestern and southeast Europe, western and southeastern Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and adjacent eastern India, and southeastern South America. Tornadoes can be detected before or as they occur through the use of Pulse-Doppler radar by recognizing patterns in velocity and reflectivity data, such as hook echoes or debris balls, as well as through the efforts of storm spotters.

  There are several scales for rating the strength of tornadoes. The Fujita scale rates tornadoes by damage caused and has been replaced in some countries by the updated Enhanced Fujita Scale. An F0 or EF0 tornado, the weakest category, damages trees, but not substantial structures. An F5 or EF5 tornado, the strongest category, rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers. The similar TORRO scale ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes. Doppler radar data, photogrammetry, and ground swirl patterns (trochoidal marks) may also be analyzed to determine intensity and assign a rating.

   A tornado is not necessarily visible; however, the intense low pressure caused by the high wind speeds (as described by Bernoulli's principle) and rapid rotation (due to cyclostrophic balance) usually cause water vapor in the air to condense into cloud droplets due to adiabatic cooling. This results in the formation of a visible funnel cloud or condensation funnel.

There is some disagreement over the definition of a funnel cloud and a condensation funnel. According to the Glossary of Meteorology, a funnel cloud is any rotating cloud pendant from a cumulus or cumulonimbus, and thus most tornadoes are included under this definition. Among many meteorologists, the 'funnel cloud' term is strictly defined as a rotating cloud which is not associated with strong winds at the surface, and condensation funnel is a broad term for any rotating cloud below a cumuliform cloud.

  Tornadoes often begin as funnel clouds with no associated strong winds at the surface, and not all funnel clouds evolve into tornadoes. Most tornadoes produce strong winds at the surface while the visible funnel is still above the ground, so it is difficult to discern the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado from a distance.

Occasionally, a single storm will produce more than one tornado, either simultaneously or in succession. Multiple tornadoes produced by the same storm cell are referred to as a "tornado family". Several tornadoes are sometimes spawned from the same large-scale storm system. If there is no break in activity, this is considered a tornado outbreak (although the term "tornado outbreak" has various definitions). A period of several successive days with tornado outbreaks in the same general area (spawned by multiple weather systems) is a tornado outbreak sequence, occasionally called an extended tornado outbreak.

A multiple-vortex tornado is a type of tornado in which two or more columns of spinning air rotate about their own axis and at the same time around a common center. A multi-vortex structure can occur in almost any circulation, but is very often observed in intense tornadoes. These vortices often create small areas of heavier damage along the main tornado path. This is a phenomenon that is distinct from a satellite tornado, which is a smaller tornado which forms very near a large, strong tornado contained within the same mesocyclone. The satellite tornado may appear to "orbit" the larger tornado (hence the name), giving the appearance of one, large multi-vortex tornado. However, a satellite tornado is a distinct circulation, and is much smaller than the main funnel.

 

Characteristics of tornado
Types of tornado
Places of origin
Strength scales

12. Speaking. Role play. Read the recommendations below and continue a conversation between the journalist and Professor Johnson a specialist on tornadoes.

 

Journalist: Knowing what to do when you see a tornado, or when you hear a tornado warning, can help protect you and your family. During a tornado, people face hazards from extremely high winds and risk being struck by flying and falling objects. After a tornado, the wreckage left behind poses additional injury risks. Although nothing can be done to prevent tornadoes, there are actions you can take for your health and safety. Our guest today is Professor Johnson who studies tornadoes and we have some questions to discuss.

Professor Johnson: ………..

 

Useful language:

First of all…. Second …. Next …. Besides ….

It is very important / vital / recommended to ….

Be careful and keep abreast of the latest ….

Make sure you ….

You should … in case ….

Do not venture to ….

Keep in mind that ….

 

Unit 13