Earth Science: Severe Weather Tornadoes Hurricanes Thunderstorms
Understanding how severe storms form and how to stay safe
Earth Science: Severe Weather Tornadoes Hurricanes Thunderstorms
Understanding how severe storms form and how to stay safe
Earth Science - Grade 4-5
- 1
A thunderstorm has dark clouds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. Explain what causes thunder.
Think about what happens to air when it gets hot very fast.
Thunder is caused by lightning heating the air very quickly. The heated air expands suddenly, and that creates the sound wave we hear as thunder. - 2
Circle the type of severe weather that forms over warm ocean water: tornado, hurricane, or blizzard. Explain your choice.
A hurricane forms over warm ocean water. The warm water gives the storm energy and helps it grow stronger. - 3
Tornadoes often look like a spinning funnel. What is a tornado, and why can it be dangerous?
Include both what it is and what its winds can do.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm cloud to the ground. It can be dangerous because its strong winds can damage buildings, lift objects, and cause injuries. - 4
Put these hurricane parts in order from the center outward: rainbands, eye, eyewall.
The calmest part is in the very center.
The correct order from the center outward is eye, eyewall, and rainbands. The eye is the calm center, the eyewall has the strongest winds, and the rainbands stretch outward in spirals. - 5
A weather report says there is a severe thunderstorm watch for your area. What does a watch mean?
A watch means that severe weather is possible in the area. People should pay attention to weather updates and be ready to act if conditions become dangerous. - 6
A weather report says there is a tornado warning for your town. What should people do?
A warning is more urgent than a watch.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen or detected by radar. People should go to a safe shelter right away, such as a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor away from windows. - 7
Why do meteorologists use radar during storms?
Meteorologists use radar to see where rain, snow, hail, and strong storm areas are located. Radar can also help detect rotation in storms that might produce tornadoes. - 8
Name two signs that a thunderstorm may be nearby.
Use things you might see, hear, or feel before a storm arrives.
Two signs that a thunderstorm may be nearby are dark towering clouds and the sound of thunder. Other signs can include strong winds, sudden cooler air, or flashes of lightning. - 9
Lightning is seen before thunder is heard. Explain why this happens.
Lightning is seen before thunder is heard because light travels much faster than sound. The flash reaches our eyes almost instantly, but the sound of thunder takes longer to travel through the air. - 10
A hurricane weakens after moving over land. Explain why this usually happens.
Think about what a hurricane needs to keep growing.
A hurricane usually weakens over land because it loses its main energy source, which is warm ocean water. Land also has more friction, which slows the storm's winds. - 11
Look at a simple storm safety plan. It says: go indoors, stay away from windows, avoid using wired electronics, and wait until the storm passes. Which type of severe weather is this plan mainly for?
This safety plan is mainly for a thunderstorm. It helps protect people from lightning, strong winds, flying debris, and broken glass near windows. - 12
Compare tornadoes and hurricanes. Write one way they are alike and one way they are different.
Think about size, where they form, and how long they last.
Tornadoes and hurricanes are alike because both are severe weather events with strong rotating winds. They are different because tornadoes are usually smaller and form from thunderstorms over land, while hurricanes are much larger and form over warm ocean water. - 13
A storm cloud grows tall and has strong rising air inside it. How can rising warm air help a thunderstorm form?
Rising warm air helps a thunderstorm form because the air cools as it rises, and water vapor condenses into clouds. If the air keeps rising strongly, the cloud can grow tall and produce heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. - 14
Choose the best safe place during a tornado: near a window, outside under a tree, or in a small interior room on the lowest floor. Explain your answer.
Windows and outdoor areas are dangerous during a tornado.
The best safe place during a tornado is in a small interior room on the lowest floor. This place is safer because it is away from windows and gives more protection from strong winds and flying debris. - 15
A coastal town is preparing for a hurricane. List three supplies or actions that would help the town or a family be ready.
Think about power outages, flooding, and instructions from local officials.
Three helpful supplies or actions are storing clean drinking water, having flashlights and batteries, and following evacuation orders if officials give them. These steps help people stay safe if power goes out, flooding occurs, or the storm becomes dangerous.