Latest Thunderstorm Stories
Pyrocumulonimbus is the fire-breathing dragon of clouds.A cumulonimbus without the "pyre" part is imposing enough -- a massive, anvil-shaped tower of power reaching five miles (8 km) high, hurling thunderbolts, wind and rain.Add smoke and fire to the mix and you have pyrocumulonimbus, an explosive storm cloud actually created by the smoke and heat from fire, and which can ravage tens of thousands of acres. And in the process, "pyroCb" storms funnel their smoke like a...
TOKYO, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Weathernews Inc.(WNI) is actively developing new innovative infrastructure and technologies to enhance its unique weather content services. In order to accelerate its drive to enhance services supporting the needs of the shipping industry, aviation, railway and road markets, thus responding to transportation weather user needs, Weathernews established the Oklahoma Innovation Center in September. At Oklahoma Innovation Center, the development of completely...
NASA's Aqua satellite has peered into the cloud tops of Tropical Storm Malakas and derived just how cold they really are, giving an indication to forecasters of the strength of the storm.The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument, known as AIRS has the ability to determine cloud top and sea surface temperatures from its position in space aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. Cloud top temperatures help forecasters know if a storm is powering up or powering down.When cloud top temperatures get colder...
This Atlantic hurricane season has now spawned 14 tropical depressions and 12 of them have strengthened into tropical storms. The latest is now called Tropical Storm Lisa and is in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Lisa when she was still a low pressure area, but showed a center of circulation and banding of thunderstorms circling it, indicating the storm was getting organized.The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite...
Tropical Depression Five's remnants continue to linger over Louisiana and Mississippi, and NASA satellite data continues to capture its cloud temperatures and extent. The slow moving remnants and an associated tropical air mass are expected to creep across the Louisiana and Mississippi and into Arkansas for the next couple of days.Tropical Depression Five's (TD5) remnants remain over the lower Mississippi valley today and are slowly drifting northeast. Yesterday, NASA satellite imagery...
Rain drops are fat and snowflakes are fluffy, but why does it matter in terms of predicting severe storms?We've all seen fat rain drops, skinny rain drops, round hailstones, fluffy snowflakes and even ice needles. This summer, NASA researchers are going to get a look at just how much these shapes influence severe storm weather. To do it, they'll have to look inside the guts of some of the world's fiercest storms. NASA recently assembled a team of hurricane scientists from across the country...
Urban Heat Island Effect Keeps Manhattan Hotter Longer, CCNY Professor SaysHeat waves like those that baked the Northeast in July are likely to be more frequent and more intense in the future, with their effects amplified in densely built urban environments like Manhattan, according to climate scientists at The City College of New York (CCNY)."Manhattan is subject to an urban heat island effect because its physical landscape is significantly different from the surrounding suburbs," said Dr....
One of the most destructive storms in years struck Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area on July 25, 2010. Strong winds downed trees and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power, stopping elevators, and darkening malls and movie theaters. Falling trees killed at least two people. The following morning, crews were working furiously to restore power to homes, traffic lights, and even a water treatment plant.The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite...
MARYVILLE, Mo., June 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year marks the 10th Lightning Safety Awareness Campaign, June 20-26. The campaign was launched by NOAA and the National Weather Service to increase awareness about the dangers of lightning and provide the public with safety information to help protect families and their property. Several national groups, including the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc.-FLASH, the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI), the Lightning Safety Alliance...
NASA and other satellite data is helping forecasters get a bead on a tropical low that looks prime for development over the weekend in the Western Pacific Ocean. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed System 93W has some high, cold thunderstorm cloud tops, indicating strong convection.The low pressure area is located near 20.4 North and 115.3 East, about 130 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong. NASA's Aqua satellite flew over System 93W and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder...
Latest Thunderstorm Reference Libraries
Surface Dew-points can play a huge role in weather forecasting. The first such role is that it helps determine the amount of moisture in the atmosphere for a given point. If we look at the current dew-point map above from January 28, 2013 we can note several things of interest. First, if we look at where the black circle is around the number 70, we can make note that this air right off the coast of Texas is at a dew point of 70F. The temperature outside must be above 70F, because the...
Air mass thunderstorms are found in marine time tropical air. In short they are also known as MT Thunderstorms. Air mass thunderstorms represent what is known as the common three stage thunderstorm development. This means that an air mass thunderstorm goes through the stages of Cumulus which is represented by the updrafts only being present; secondly it moves into the mature stage where it has both updrafts and downdrafts; finally it goes into the dissipating stage where you see only the...
In this lesson we are going to take a look at super-cell thunderstorms and what they mean and how they impact our daily lives. First, a super-cell thunderstorm is formed from a cumulus-nimbus cloud. Super-cell thunderstorms are the most advanced form of thunderstorms known on earth. This is because these types of thunderstorms need so many things to come together in the atmosphere at the same time. The first thing they need is the warm moist air at or near the surface. Secondly, is...
Orographic thunderstorms are formed when the air is pushed up a mountain side. This type of thunderstorm is found only on the windward side of a mountain range. In the United States we would find these types of thunderstorms on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains and also on the western slopes of the Appalachians. Things that make this thunderstorm important: First of all they only form in certain geographical places on the earth as mentioned above. But they can form anywhere in the...
September 5: The southwest was encompassed in the monsoon rains yesterday bringing areas of flash flooding to portions of Arizona. Another smaller but large flooding event occurred along the Mississippi Gulf Coast where places in Jackson County received 7inches of rainfall in 2 1/2hours which lead to large flooding problems of already saturated grounds from Isaac-1. The heat persisted in Eastern Texas and into Louisiana and northward into Arkansas as some places felt temps hit the100’s with...
