Guia de el Observador Voluntario

Supercells

Thunderstorms are common in this part of the world, and most area residents are quite familiar with them and the severe weather they can bring. Most individual thunderstorms only last several minutes, however some individual thunderstorms can last several hours. These long-lived thunderstorms are called supercell thunderstorms. Supercell thunderstorms are solely responsible for producing the majority of severe weather, such as large hail and tornadoes, however, strong squall lines can also produce widespread severe weather, primarily very strong winds and/or microbursts.

Diagrama de una supercelula:

Wall Clouds

Wall cloud - A wall cloud, according to the storm spotters glossary, is a local, often abrupt lowering from a rain-free base. Wall clouds can range from a fraction of a mile up to nearly five miles in diameter, and normally are found on the south or southwest (inflow) side of the thunderstorm. When seen from within several miles, many wall clouds exhibit rapid upward motion and cyclonic rotation. Rotating wall clouds usually develop before strong or violent tornadoes, by anywhere from a few minutes up to nearly an hour. Wall clouds should be monitored visually for signs of persistent, sustained rotation

Downburts

Downburst- A strong downdraft resulting in an outward burst of damaging winds on or near the ground. Downburst winds can produce damage similar to a strong tornado. Although usually associated with thunderstorms, downbursts can occur with showers too weak to produce thunder.

Flash Floods

Flash Floods - Heavy thunderstorms which move very slowly or thunderstorms which move quickly but redevelop over the same area can produce flash flooding. If you are storm spotting and encounter water running over a roadway, report it immediately. DO NOT TRY AND DRIVE THROUGH THE WATER! Roadways underneath may not always be intact as the image below shows.

Wind

(como estimar la velocidad del viento)

Wind Speed Estimates

25-31 mph Large branches in motion; whistling in telephone wires

32-38 mph Whole trees in motion

39-54 mph Twigs break off of trees; wind impedes walking

55-72 mph Damage to chimneys and TV antennas; pushes over shallow rooted trees

73-112 mph Peels surface off roofs; windows broken; trailer houses overturned

113+ mph Roofs torn off houses; weak buildings and trailer houses destroyed; large trees uprooted

Waterspouts

Waterspouts

A waterspout is a marine tornado that occurs when a warm sea surface causes an instability in the atmosphere by warming the air close to the surface and providing moisture which creates a vortex. Like dust-devils, waterspouts do not causes as much damage as its tornado counterpart, but can provide a serious threat to small boats at sea. In acent times, waterspouts were somtimes mistaken for sea monsters, due to the gentile hiss or muffled roar the small twister might produce..

Hurricanes

Imagen de el Huracan Erika tomada de el satelite noaa-14 por la Np3ba

WHAT IS A HURRICANE?

A hurricane is a tropical storm with winds that have reached a constant speed of 74 miles per hour or more. Hurricane winds blow in a large spiral around a relative calm center known as the "eye." The "eye" is generally 20 to 30 miles wide, and the storm may extend outward 400 miles. As a hurricane approaches, the skies will begin to darken and winds will grow in strength. As a hurricane nears land, it can bring torrential rains, high winds, and storm surges. A single hurricane can last for more than 2 weeks over open waters and can run a path across the entire length of the eastern seaboard. August and September are peak months during the hurricane season, that lasts from June 1 through November 30.