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Anatomy of a Storm

The structure and formation of tropical storms: the eye, eyewall and rainbands, why they form over warm ocean and low pressure, and the effects and responses of a named storm, Typhoon Haiyan.

⏱️ 16 min 🎯 14 activities
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What you'll cover

Inside a tropical storm

A tropical storm is a huge spinning system of cloud and wind that forms over warm oceans. It has a clear structure, forms only where certain conditions are met, and can cause serious damage where it hits land. This module looks at the parts of a storm, how it forms, and the effects and responses of a real named storm.

Storm vocabulary

Learn these four terms before you study the storm.

Primary and secondary

The effects of a storm come in two waves.

Sort the effects and responses

A top answer never lists impacts in a heap. It sorts the effects into those caused directly by the storm and the knock-on ones that follow, and it sorts responses into what is done at once and what takes years. It also links formation to place: these storms grow only over warm ocean with low pressure. Use the named example, Typhoon Haiyan, to give real detail.

Match the part

  • the eye
  • the eyewall
  • the spiral rainbands
  • the storm surge
  • the calm, clear centre
  • the ring of the strongest winds
  • bands of cloud and rain spiralling out
  • a rise in the sea that floods the land

Effect or response

  • homes wrecked by the wind
  • disease spreads after the storm
  • search and rescue teams sent in
  • rebuilding stronger homes over years
  • a primary effect
  • a secondary effect
  • an immediate response
  • a long-term response

The calmest part

Which part of a tropical storm is the calmest and clearest?

  • The eye.
  • The eyewall.
  • The spiral rainbands.
  • The storm surge.

Conditions to form

Select the TWO conditions a tropical storm needs to form.

  • A warm ocean surface.
  • An area of low pressure.
  • A cold, dry desert.
  • High pressure and sinking air.

How a storm forms

Put the stages of a tropical storm forming in order, earliest first.

  • The warm ocean heats the air above it
  • The warm, moist air rises
  • Low pressure forms below
  • The rising air begins to spin
  • The storm grows and moves

Complete the facts

The calm centre of a storm is the _____. The ring of strongest winds around it is the _____. A rise in sea level that floods the coast is a storm _____. A storm forms over ocean that is _____. An effect caused directly by the storm is called a _____ effect.

eye eyewall surge warm primary centre band drop cold secondary

Warm enough to form?

Tropical storms need ocean water of at least 27 degrees to form. One sea measures 25 degrees. Subtract 25 from 27 to find how far below the threshold it is, in degrees. What is the answer?

Spot the primary effects

Tap the TWO primary effects, caused directly by the storm.

  • buildings destroyed by the wind
  • the coast flooded by the storm surge
  • disease spreading days later
  • people losing their jobs afterwards

Sort the impact

For the named storm Typhoon Haiyan, decide how each impact or response is best described.

  • The storm surge floods the coast at Tacloban and destroys homes as the storm hits. How is this best described?
  • In the days after, a shortage of clean water lets disease spread. How is this best described?
  • Aid agencies fly in food, water and shelter within days of the storm. How is this best described?

Describe a named storm

Describe the effects and responses of a named tropical storm, such as Typhoon Haiyan.

  • Describe two primary effects and one secondary effect
  • Describe one immediate response and one long-term response
  • Explain why the storm formed where it did, using the conditions needed