Saturday 13 November 2010

Differences between a Tornado and a Hurricane

Last week I was dealing with natural disasters in a primary school class and a student asked me the differences between a tornado and a hurricane. I looked at her and revised the information on my mind. Then, I turned down, checked the information stuck on the board, and I answered her. I was totally convinced that I had given her the correct  answer, but then I doubted. When I got home I read the pieces of information I got, and I looked more information up from other sources. So, now I would like to share some of the information I gathered, and I´m sure that I won´t forget those definitions!!

Tornado: It´s a violent , dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of the earth and a cumulus cloud. It comes from powerful thunderstorms and it is in the form of a condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is encircled with a cloud of dust and debris. Tornado winds can reach 300 miles per hour. It can cause damage when it touches down on the ground, covering an area 1 mile wide and 50 miles long.

Hurricane: It is a severe tropical storm, characterised by a large low- pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. It gather energy and heat through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases its power. It rotates in a counter-clockwise direction around an “eye”, and it has winds at 74 miles per hour.

Queen V

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