Weather Station: Stormy Weather

Weather Station: Stormy Weather. . Children's Science and Nature Area , Niagara Region , Weather Station: Stormy Weather , Explore the wonderful world of weather and all of its natural elements. The answers to your questions about storms, including thunder, wind, water or snow can be found here. Enjoy the various displays that will help you understand even more about the wide world of weather. , , Just How Hot is Lightning? The air in the core of lightning bolts has been estimated to be as high as 30,000 degrees C! That happens to be about six times hotter than the surface of the sun. , , Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are a series of electrical changes within a cloud. A thunderstorm needs both warm and cold air to develop. Warm, moist air near the Earth's surface rises and collides with cold air high in Earth's atmosphere. When clouds develop sufficient upward motion, and are cold enough to provide enough ice and super-cooled water to generate an electrical charge, the result is a thunderstorm. Wind, floods, hail, lightning and tornadoes are all formed by thunderstorm clouds. , , Did you know? Thunder is actually the sound made by a lightning bolt! Since sound takes much longer to travel than light, the lightning bolt appears quickly and the thunder is a long, slow rumble. , , Tornadoes: A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm and comes in contact with the ground. A tornado nearly always spins in a counter-clockwise direction. Tornadoes are the most violent storms on Earth and can have wind speeds of more than 403 km per hour. , The tornado's column of air is composed of water droplets formed by condensation. The vortex, or mouth, of the tornado sucks in air, dirt and debris from the ground. The dirt and debris block light. This is why tornadoes have such a dark colour. , , Did you know? Tornadoes are a relatively common occurrence in Ontario. The first recorded tornado in Canadian history occurred on June 30, 1792 in the Niagara Peninsula between Fonthill and Port Robinson. The storm levelled houses and cleared a wide path through the woods between two villages. A street named Hurricane Road was later built along its path. , , Hurricanes: The word hurricane means "big wind". To be classified as a hurricane, the wind speed must be at least 121 km per hour. A hurricane actually begins as a thunderstorm. However, thunderstorms can only grow to a hurricane with help from the ocean and the atmosphere. The ocean water must be warmer than 26.5 degrees C. The heat and moisture from this warm water is the energy source for hurricanes. Hurricanes will weaken rapidly when they travel over land or colder ocean waters. , , The winds of a hurricane are structured around a central "eye", this area is free of clouds and relatively calm. Around this eye area, storm clouds wrap in a counter-clockwise motion. This "eyewall" of clouds, wind and rain, is the most destructive part of the storm. , , Did you know? Ontario experienced its first and only direct hurricane on Oct 15, 1964, when Hurricane Hazel roared over Toronto. The hurricane caused the banks of the normally peaceful Humber River to overflow. , , Can You Always Find a Rainbow? There are three required conditions for a rainbow: , 1. There must be raindrops, preferably from a heavy thundershower , 2. The sun must be shining , 3. The observer (that means you!) must be standing between the sun and the raindrops. , The best rainbow watching is right before sunset by looking to the east, which is directly opposite from the sun.