Severe Weather Vocabulary Flashcard

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Stepped Leader

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The channel of partially charged air; the breakdown in charges in between positive and negative regions.

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Sea-Breeze Thunderstorm

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A local air-mass thunderstorm that commonly occurs along a coastal area because land and water store and release thermal energy differently.

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Tornado

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A violent, whirling column of air in contact with the ground that forms when wind direction and speed suddenly change with height, often associated with a supercell, and can be extremely damaging.

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Eye of a Tropical Cyclone

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The calm center of a tropical cyclone that develops when the winds around its center reach at least 120 km/h.

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Storm Surge

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Occurs when powerful, hurricane-force winds drive a mound of ocean water toward shore, where it washes over the land, often causing enormous damage.

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Downburst

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A strong downdraft that produces damaging winds at the surface, often associated with thunderstorms.

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Supercell

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A highly organized thunderstorm characterized by a rotating updraft, capable of producing severe weather such as tornadoes.

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Eyewall

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The area surrounding the eye of a tropical cyclone, where the most intense winds and heaviest rains occur.

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Hurricane

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A large tropical storm system with strong winds and heavy rain, classified as a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 119 km/h.

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Frontal Thunderstorm

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A thunderstorm that forms along a front, where two air masses meet and create instability.