Storm
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{{Redirect|Windstorm|the type of storm in [[Europe]]|European windstorm}}
[[Image:Rolling-thunder-cloud.jpg|thumb|300px|A [[shelf cloud]] associated with a heavy or severe [[thunderstorm]] over [[Enschede]], [[Netherlands]]]]
A '''storm''' is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's [[Celestial body atmosphere|atmosphere]], especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying [[severe weather]]. It may be marked by strong [[wind]], [[thunder]] and [[lightning]] (a [[thunderstorm]]), heavy [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]], such as [[ice]] ([[winter storm|ice storm]]), or wind transporting some substance through the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] (as in a [[dust storm]], [[snowstorm]], [[hail]]storm, etc).
==Formation==
[[Image:GreatBlizzardof2006.jpg|thumb|200px|Satellite image of the intense nor'easter responsible for the [[North American blizzard of 2006]]. Note the [[hurricane]]-like eye at the center.]]
Storms are created when a center of [[Low pressure area|low pressure]] develops, with a system of [[high pressure area|high pressure]] surrounding it.
This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm [[clouds]], such as the [[cumulonimbus cloud|cumulonimbus]]. Small, localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting in smaller disturbances such as [[dust devils]] and [[whirlwinds]].
==Types==
There are many varieties and names for storms.
[[Image:Storm in Pacifica.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Sea Storm in [[Pacifica, California|Pacifica]], [[California]]]]
*[[Ice Storm]] - Ice storms are one of the most dangerous forms of winter weather. When surface temperatures are below freezing, but a thick layer of above freezing air remains aloft above ground level, rain can fall into the freezing layer and freeze upon impact into a "glaze". In general, 8 millimeters (1/4 in) of accumulation is all that is required, especially in combination with breezy conditions, to start downing power lines as well as tree limbs.<ref>City of Kent, Washington. [http://www.ci.kent.wa.us/emergency/KentHazards/SNOW.pdf#search=%22ice%20storm%20definition%22 Snow/Ice Storm.] Retrieved on 2006-11-26.</ref> Ice storms also make unheated road surfaces too slick to drive upon. Ice storms can vary in time range from hours to days and can cripple both small towns and large urban centers alike.
*[[Blizzard]] - There are varying definitions for blizzards, both over time and by location. In general, a blizzard is accompanied by [[gale]]-force winds, heavy snow (accumulating at a rate of at least 5 centimeters (2 in) per hour), and very cold conditions (below approximately -10 degrees Celsius or 14 F). As of late, the temperature criteria has fallen out of the definition across the [[United States]]<ref>University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. [http://www.meted.ucar.edu/hazwx/topic3/fact9.htm Winter Storms.] Retrieved on 2006-11-26.</ref>
*[[Snowstorm]] - A heavy fall of snow accumulating at a rate of more than 5 centimeters (2 in) per hour that lasts several hours. Snow storms, especially ones with a high liquid equivalent and breezy conditions, can down tree limbs, cut off power, and paralyze travel over a large region. [[Image:PortoCovoWinter.jpg|thumb|200px|Sea storm, west coast of [[Portugal]]]]
*Ocean Storm - Storm conditions out at sea are defined as having sustained winds of 48 knots (55 mph or 90 km/h) or greater.<ref name="OPC">Ocean Prediction Center. [http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/product_description/keyterm.shtml Terminology and Weather Symbols.] Retrieved on 2006-11-26.</ref> Usually just referred to as a storm, these systems can sink vessels of all types and sizes.
*[[Firestorm]] - Firestorms are conflagrations which attain such intensity that they create and sustain their own wind systems. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires. The [[Peshtigo Fire]] is one example of a firestorm. Firestorms can also be deliberate effects of targeted explosives such as occurred as a result of the aerial [[Bombing of Dresden in World War II|bombings of Dresden]] and [[Bombing of Tokyo in World War II|Tokyo during World War II]]. [[Nuclear weapon|Nuclear detonations]] almost invariably generate firestorms
*[[Dust devil]] - a small, localized updraft of rising air.
*Windstorm - a severe weather condition indicated by high winds and with little or no rain, like [[European windstorm]].
*[[Squall]] - sudden onset of wind increase of at least 16 knots (30 km/h) or greater sustained for at least one minute.
*Gale - An [[extratropical storm]] with sustained winds between 34-48 knots (39-55 mph or 63-90 km/h).<ref name="OPC"/>
*[[Thunderstorm]] - A thunderstorm is a type of storm that generates [[lightning]] and the attendant [[thunder]]. It is normally accompanied by heavy [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]]. Thunderstorms occur throughout the world, with the highest frequency in [[tropical]] [[rainforest]] regions where there are conditions of high humidity and temperature along with atmospheric instability. These storms occur when high levels of condensation form in a volume of unstable air that generates deep, rapid, upward motion in the atmosphere. The heat energy creates powerful rising air currents that swirl upwards to the [[tropopause]]. Cool descending air currents produce strong downdraughts below the storm. After the storm has spent its energy, the rising currents die away and downdraughts break up the cloud. Individual storm clouds can measure 2-10 km across.
*[[Tropical Cyclone]] - A tropical cyclone is a storm system with a closed circulation around a centre of [[low pressure area|low pressure]], fueled by the heat released when moist air rises and condenses. The name underscores its origin in the [[tropics]] and their [[cyclonic]] nature. Tropical cyclones are distinguished from other cyclonic storms such as [[nor'easter]]s and [[polar low]]s by the heat mechanism that fuels them, which makes them "warm core" storm systems.
[[Image:Typhoon in Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|200px|Heavy storm brought by [[2005 Pacific typhoon season#Typhoon Sanvu .28Huaning.29|Typhoon Sanvu]] in [[Hong Kong]]. Sanvu was the first [[typhoon]] in 2005 that passed through the city.]]
:Tropical cyclones form in the [[ocean]]s if the [[Tropical cyclone#Formation|conditions in the area are favorable]], and depending on their strength and location, there are various terms by which they are called, such as ''tropical depression'', ''tropical storm'', ''hurricane'' and ''typhoon''.<ref>Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A1.html Frequently Asked Questions Subject: A1) What is a hurricane, typhoon, or tropical cyclone?] Retrieved on 2006-11-26.</ref>
*[[Hail]]storm - a type of storm that precipitates chunks of ice. Hailstorms usually occur during regular thunder storms. While most of the hail that precipitates from the clouds is fairly small and virtually harmless, there have been cases of hail greater than 2 inches diameter that caused much damage and injuries.
*[[Tornado]] - A tornado is a violent, destructive wind storm occurring on land. Usually its appearance is that of a dark, funnel-shaped cyclone. Often tornadoes are preceded by a thunderstorm and a [[wall cloud]]. They are often called the most destructive of storms, and while they form all over the world, the interior of the United States the most prone area, especially throughout [[Tornado Alley]].
==Classification==
A strict [[meteorology|meteorological]] definition of a terrestrial storm is a wind measuring 10 or higher on the [[Beaufort scale]], meaning a wind speed of 24.5 [[m/s]] (89 [[kilometer per hour|km/h]], 55 [[Miles per hour|mph]]) or more; however, popular usage is not so restrictive. Storms can last anywhere from 12 to 200 hours, depending on season and geography. The east and northeast storms are noted for the most frequent repeatability and duration, especially during the cold period.<ref>[http://grants.rsu.ru/osi/azoveco/Wind.html Тецйн Чефтб<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Big terrestrial storms alter the [[oceanographic]] conditions that in turn may affect food abundance and distribution: strong currents, strong tides, increased siltation, change in water temperatures, overturn in the water column, etc. <!--The storm classification for assessing the relative power of northeasterly storms in the west-Atlantic has been developed by scientists at the [[University of Virginia]]. A relative frequency of 50% means here one such storm every two years and 0.1% once every 1000 years.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! !! Class 1 weak !! Class 2 moderate !! Class 3 significant !! Class 4 severe !! Class 5 extreme
|-
! Average peak wave height (m)
| 2 || 2.5 || 3.2 || 5 || 7
|-
! Average duration (h)
| 8 || 18 || 34 || 63 || 96
|-
! Relative frequency
| 49.7% (2 years) || 25.2% (4 years) || 22.1% (5 years) || 2.4% (40 years) || 0.1% (1000 years)
|-
! Beach erosion
| minor || modest || across beach || severe || extreme
|-
! Dune erosion
| none || minor || significant || erosion and recession || destruction
|-
! Overwash
| none || none || none || severe on low-profile beaches || region-wide
|-
! Property damage
| none || modest || local || community-wide || region-wide
|}
-->
== Extraterrestrial storms ==
[[Image:PIA02863 - Jupiter surface motion animation.gif|thumb|The [[Great Red Spot]] on Jupiter]]
Storms are not unique to [[Earth]]; other heavenly bodies with a sufficient atmosphere ([[gas giant]]s in particular) also undergo stormy weather. A famous example is the [[Great Red Spot]] on [[Jupiter (planet)|Jupiter]]. Though technically a hurricane, it is larger than the earth and has been raging for at least 340 years, when it was observed by astronomer [[Galileo Galilei]]. [[Neptune (planet)|Neptune]] also had its own lesser known [[Great Dark Spot]].
In September 1994 [[Hubble telescope]] using [[Wide Field Planetary Camera 2]] imaged the storms on [[Saturn]], generated by upwelling of warmer air, similar to a terrestrial thunderhead. The east-west extent of the same-year storm was equal to the diameter of Earth. The storm was observed earlier in September 1990 and acquired the name [[Dragon Storm (astronomy)|Dragon Storm]].
== Notable storms in art and culture ==
[[Image:The Great Wave off Kanagawa.jpg|thumb|300px|''[[The Great Wave off Kanagawa]]'', a [[Ukiyo-e]] print by [[Hokusai]].]]
[[Image:Decuman wave.jpg|thumb|300px|''The Ninth Wave'' is an 1850 [[painting]] by [[Ivan Aivazovsky]].]]
According to the [[Bible]], a giant storm sent by [[God]] flooded the Earth. [[Noah]] and his family and the animals entered [[Noah's Ark|the Ark]], and "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." The flood covered even the highest mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet, and all creatures died; only Noah and those with him on the Ark were left alive.
In [[Greek mythology]] there were several gods of storms: [[Briareos]], the god of sea storms; [[Aigaios]], a god of the violent sea storms; and [[Aiolos]], keeper of storm-winds, squalls and tempests.
[[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[The Tempest]]'' (1611) was based on the following incident.<ref>David M. Roth. [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/va17hur.htm Seventeenth Century Virginia Hurricanes.] Retrieved on 2006-11-26.</ref> Sir Thomas Gates, future governor of [[Virginia]], was on his way to [[England]] from [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. On [[Saint James Day]] while between [[Cuba]] and the [[Bahamas]] a hurricane raged for nearly two days. Though one of the small vessels in the fleet sank to the bottom of the [[Florida Straits]], seven of the remaining vessels reached [[Virginia]] within several days after the storm. The flagship of the fleet, known as ''Sea Adventure'', disappeared and was presumed lost. A small bit of fortune befell the ship and her crew when they made landfall on [[Bermuda]]. The vessel was damaged on a surrounding coral reef, but all aboard survived for nearly a year on the island. The British colonists claimed the island and quickly settled Bermuda. In May 1610, they set forth for Jamestown, this time arriving at their destination.
The Romantic seascape painters [[J. M. W. Turner]] and [[Ivan Aivazovsky]] created some of the most lasting impressions of the sublime and stormy seas that are firmly imprinted on the popular mind. Turner's representations of powerful natural forces reinvented the traditional [[seascape]] during the first half of the nineteenth century. Upon his travels to Holland, he took note of the familiar large rolling waves of the English seashore transforming into the sharper, choppy waves of a Dutch storm. A characteristic example of Turner’s dramatic seascape is ''[[The Slave Ship (painting)|The Slave Ship]]'' of 1840. Aivazovsky left several thousand turbulent canvases in which he increasingly eliminated human figures and historical background to focus on such essential elements as light, sea, and sky. His grandiose ''Ninth Wave'' (1850) is an ode to human daring in the face of the elements.
Storms were also portrayed in several works of music. Examples are [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven's]] [[Symphony No. 6 (Beethoven)|''Pastoral Symphony'']] (the fourth movement), [[Presto]] of the [[violin concerto]] RV 315 (''Summer'') from the [[The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)| ''Four Seasons'']] by [[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]], and a scene in Act II of [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini's]] opera ''[[The Barber of Seville]]''.
<br clear=all>
==See also==
{{Weather_nav}}
===Types of storm with "storm" in name===
*[[Anticyclonic storm]]
*[[Dust storm]]
*[[European windstorm]]
*[[Firestorm]]
*[[Heat storm]]
*[[Ice storm]]
*[[Perfect storm]]
*[[Pulse storm]]
*[[Salt storm]]
*[[Splitting storm]]
*[[Super storm]]
*[[Thunderstorm]]
*[[Wind storm]]
*[[Winter storm]]
===Types of storm without "storm" in name===
*[[Blizzard]]
*[[Cyclone]]
*[[Derecho]]
*[[Nor'easter]]
*[[Tornado]]
*[[Tropical cyclone]]
===Structural devices built for storms===
*[[Storm cellar]]
*[[Storm door]]
*[[Storm drain]]
*[[Storm room]]
*[[Storm windows]]
===Other storm topics===
*[[Atmospheric pressure]]
*[[Convective storm detection]]
*[[Extreme weather]], a list of historical storms and other extreme weather
*[[Freezing rain]]
*[[Geomagnetic storm]]
*[[Ice storm warning]]
*[[Low pressure area]]
*[[Local storm report]]
*[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
*[[Storm cell]]
*[[Storm chasing]]
*[[Storm glass]]
*[[Storm moon]]
*[[Storm spotter]]
*[[Storm surge]]
*[[Storm warning]]
*[[Storm-scale]]
*[[Winter storm warning]]
*[[Winter storm watch]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
*{{commons-inline|Storm|Storm}}
{{wiktionarypar|storm}}
*{{wikiquote-inline}}
*Branick, Michael. [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] Technical Memorandum [[National Weather Service|NWS]] SR-145: [http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/severewx/glossary4.php A comprehensive glossary of weather terms for storm spotters.] Second edition. 1996.
[[Category:Weather hazards]]
[[Category:Storms|*]]
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