HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL

HAZAR
D
 PRAYER
ENERGIZER
ACTIVITY
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARD
Hydrometeorological hazards are
processes or phenomena of
atmospheric, hydrological or
oceanographic nature that may cause
loss of life, injury or other health
impacts, property damages, loss of
livelihoods and services, social and
 HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARD
Hydrometeorological hazards include
tropical cyclones (also known as typhoons
and hurricanes), thunderstorms, hailstorms,
tornadoes, blizzards, heavy snowfall,
avalanches, storm surges, floods including
flash floods, drought, heat waves and cold
spells. Hydrometeorological conditions also
can be a factor in other hazards such as
Potential Hydrometerorological Hazards

The following are the most common

hydrometeorological hazards as defined by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA): • Flash Flood
• Cyclone
• Flood
• Typhoon
• Storm Surge
• Thunderstor
• El Niño
m
• La Niña
• Tornado
 Cyclone
A cyclone is an
intense low pressure
system which is
characterized by
strong spiral winds
towards the center,
called the "Eye" in a
counter-clockwise
 Classification of Cyclone
Tropical Depression - maximum
winds from 35 kilometers per hour
(kph) to 63 kph

Tropical Storm - maximum winds

from 64 kph to 118 kph

Typhoon - maximum winds

exceeding 118 kph)
 Typhoon

A typhoon is a large,
powerful and violent
tropical cyclone. It is
a low pressure area
rotating
counterclockwise and
containing rising
warm air that forms
A typhoon is called a hurricane in
the Atlantic Ocean, a cyclone in
the Indian Ocean and wily-wily in
Australia.

Typhoons can inflict terrible

damage due to thunderstorms,
violent winds, torrential rain,
floods, landslides, large and very
big waves associated with storm
surges.
 Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm is a
weather condition
that produces
lightning and thunder,
heavy rainfall from
cumulonimbus clouds
and possibly a
It is a violent local
atmospheric disturbance
accompanied by lightning,
thunder, and heavy rain, and
often by strong gusts of
wind, and sometimes by hail.
Thunderstorms occur most
frequently in the equatorial
zone (some localities have as
many as 200 a year) and
seldom in the polar region.
 Tornado
A tornado is described as a
violently rotating column of
air extending from a
thunderstorm to the ground.
Tornadoes come in many sizes but
are typically in the form of a
visible condensation funnel whose
narrow end touches the earth and
is often encircled by a cloud of
debris. It can have a wide range of
It starts from a change in
direction, an increase in
wind speed with
increasing height and a
rise from within the
thunderstorm which
triggers the rotation of
wind from horizontal to
vertical.
A flash flood is a rapid
flooding of geomorphic
low-lying areas like
washes, rivers, dry
lakes and basins. It may
be caused by heavy rain
associated with a severe
thunderstorm,
hurricane, tropical
storm, or melt water
Flash floods may occur
after the collapse of a
natural ice or debris
dam, or a human
structure such as a
Flash floods are
man-made dam.
distinguished from
regular floods by a
timescale of less than
six hours.
 Flash Flood

Any sort of flooding that starts within six hours of a period

of heavy rain or another water-related source is referred
to as a flash flood. Major storms are frequently
accompanied by flash floods.
 Flood
Flood is the inundation of
land areas which are not
normally covered by water.
A flood is usually caused
by a temporary rise or the
over- flowing of a river,
stream, or other water
course, inundating
Floods are basically hydrological
phenomena and they are also caused
by storm surges, and tsunami along
coastal areas. Several factors
contribute to flooding. Two key
elements are rainfall intensity and
duration. Intensity is the rate of
rainfall,
Flooding and duration
occurs is how
in long
knownthe
rain lasts.
floodplains when prolonged
rainfall over several days,
intense rainfall over a short
period of time, or a debris jam
 Storm Surge
Storm surge is a rise
of seawater above
normal sea level on
the coast, generated
by the action of
weather elements,
such as cyclonic wind
and atmospheric
 El Niño and La Niña

El Niño and La Niña are complex weather patterns resulting from

variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. These
two phenomena are opposite phases of what is known as the El
Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. The ENSO cycle is a
scientific term that describes the fluctuations in temperature
between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial
 La Niña
is sometimes referred
to as the cold phase of
ENSO and El Niño as
the warm phase of
ENSO. These deviations
from normal surface
temperatures can have
large-scale impacts not
only on ocean
processes, but also on
 El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last nine to 12
months, but some prolonged events may last for years.
While their frequency can be quite irregular, El Niño
and La Niña events occur on average every two to
seven years. Typically, El Niño occurs more frequently
Signs of an Impending
Typhoon or Hurricane
 96 hours before landfall:

At first there aren't any apparent

signs of a storm. The barometer is
steady, winds are light and variable,
and fair-weather cumulus clouds
appear.
 72 hours before landfall:
Little has changed, except that
the swell on the ocean surface
has increased to about six feet
and the waves come in every nine
seconds. This means that the
storm, far over the horizon, is
 48 hours before landfall:
The sky is now clear of clouds, the
barometer is steady, and the wind is
almost calm. The swell is now about
nine feet and coming in every eight
seconds.
 36 hours before landfall:
The first signs of the storm
appear. The barometer is falling
slightly, the wind is around 11
mph, and the ocean swell is about
13 feet and coming in seven
seconds apart.
 30 hours before landfall:
The sky is covered by a high
overcast. The barometer is falling at
1 millibar per hour, winds pick up to
about 23 mph. The ocean swell,
coming in five seconds apart, is
beginning to be obscured by wind-
driven waves, and small whitecaps
 24 hours before landfall:
Small low clouds appear overhead.
The barometer is falling by 2
millibars per hour, the wind picks up
to 34 mph. The wind driven waves
are covered in whitecaps, and
streaks of foam begin to ride over
the surface. Evacuations should be
 18 hours before landfall:
The low clouds are thicker and bring
driving rain squalls with gusty winds
The barometer is steadily falling at
half a millibar per hour and the
winds are whistling by at 46 mph. It
is hard to stand against the wind.
 12 hours before landfall:
The rain squalls are more frequent
and the winds don't diminish after
they depart. The cloud ceiling is
getting lower, and the barometer is
falling at 1 millibar per hour. The
wind is howling at hurricane force at
74 mph. The sea advances with every
 6 hours before landfall:
The rain is constant and the 92 mph
wind drives it horizontally. The
barometer is falling 1.5 millibar per
hour, and the storm surge has
advanced above the high tide mark.
The sea surface a whitish mass of
spray. It is impossible to stand
 1 hour before landfall:
The rain becomes heavier. Low areas
inland become flooded. The winds
are at 104 mph, and the barometer is
falling at 2 millibar per hour. The sea
is white with foam and streaks. The
storm surge has covered coastal
roads and 16 foot waves crash into
Landfall - The eye of the storm:
Just as the storm reaches its peak, the winds
begin to slacken, and the sky starts to brighten.
The rain ends abruptly, and the clouds break and
blue sky is seen. The barometer continues falling
at 3 millibar per hour and the storm surge reaches
the furthest inland. The winds fall to near calm,
but the air is uncomfortably warm and humid.
Huge walls of cloud appear on every side. brilliant
white in the sunlight. At this point, the barometer
stops falling and in a moment begins to rise, soon
 Tools in Tracking the Storm
Satellite is the most advanced technology used in
monitoring a cyclone or typhoon. It can visualize
exactly in real time the formation and the path of
a cyclone.
To Be Continued..
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