What are the causes and effects of hurricanes and tornadoes?
I think you can write about the effects yourself – just watch the news! Cause is a bit more complicated. Take the plug out of the bath. Why does the water form a vortex? Because that is the lowest energy state for water flowing down the plughole. Now think about what happens when air gets warm – it rises; and in the same way it starts to spiral. In the beginning, a disturbance forms in the atmosphere, developing into an area of low atmospheric pressure. Winds begin to move into the center of the storm seedling from surrounding areas of higher air pressure. Warm water heats the air, and it rises as it nears the center. The ocean feeds warmth and moisture into the developing storm, providing energy that causes the warm air in the center to rise faster. It condenses high in the atmosphere, creating thunderstorms. If conditions are favorable, a tropical depression develops into a tropical storm, then finally into a hurricane, which is not unlike a giant swirling mass of thunderstorms.
