,Mid-latitude Cyclones
•A mid-latitude cyclone is a storm that forms in the mid-latitudes of the earth and moves
from west to east.
•Characteristics
• Mid-latitude cyclones bring wet and windy weather.
• This kind of weather is caused by the way the air moves in mid-latitude cyclones
and the different kinds of air masses that are involved.
• When winds come together.
• The pressure gets higher as you move away from the center.
• We consider anything less than 1000 hPa to be low pressure.
• The winds do not blow along the pressure gradient where the pressure changes.
• The winds are pushed away from this line by a force called the Coriolis force.
• This force is strongest at the poles and weakest at the equator
• Mid-latitude cyclones happen where cold air from the poles meets air from the
subtropics
• The bad weather from a mid-latitude cyclone usually lasts for three to five days
• These storms usually happen over the ocean and near the coast
• Sometimes they can reach inland in South Africa during the winter when the air
pressure and wind patterns move a bit north
• Bands of high or low pressure that surround Earth at certain latitudes, for example,
the equatorial low-pressure belt at the equator these are called pressure belts
• A big chunk of air that is hundreds of kilometers wide and has the same
temperature and humidity everywhere is called an air mass.
• The place where the cold air from the poles and the warm air from the tropics meet
is called the polar front.
•Stages of Development
1. The initial stage
• is when a bend forms in the polar front.
• a big storm forms (low pressure cell) and the winds start to deflect.
• The winds get stronger. Clouds start to appear.
, 2. The mature stage
• Is when the bend gets deeper.
• The winds get even stronger.
• The difference in air pressure gets bigger.
• The air moves in a clockwise direction.
• The polar front makes a front and a warm front.
• The cold sector has cold weather with strong winds and rain.
3. The partially occluded stage and the occluded stage
• Are when the air in the warm sector is warm and light.
• And the air in the cold sector is cold and heavy.
• The warm sector narrows as the cold front catches up to the warm front.
4. The degeneration stage
• Is when there is mostly air, on the ground
• The mid-latitude cyclone ends up as just a little burst of cold air
• It is cold and the clouds and rain start to clear up
Key Fronts and Sectors
• Cold front is where the cold air meets the warm air. The winds in the cold sector
push against the cold front.
• Warm front is where the warm air meets the warm air. The winds in the warm sector
push against the warm front.
• The warm sector is the ground area that is influenced by the warm air in a mid-
latitude cyclone.
• The cold sector is the ground area that is influenced by the cold air in a mid-latitude
cyclone.
•A mid-latitude cyclone is a storm that forms in the mid-latitudes of the earth and moves
from west to east.
•Characteristics
• Mid-latitude cyclones bring wet and windy weather.
• This kind of weather is caused by the way the air moves in mid-latitude cyclones
and the different kinds of air masses that are involved.
• When winds come together.
• The pressure gets higher as you move away from the center.
• We consider anything less than 1000 hPa to be low pressure.
• The winds do not blow along the pressure gradient where the pressure changes.
• The winds are pushed away from this line by a force called the Coriolis force.
• This force is strongest at the poles and weakest at the equator
• Mid-latitude cyclones happen where cold air from the poles meets air from the
subtropics
• The bad weather from a mid-latitude cyclone usually lasts for three to five days
• These storms usually happen over the ocean and near the coast
• Sometimes they can reach inland in South Africa during the winter when the air
pressure and wind patterns move a bit north
• Bands of high or low pressure that surround Earth at certain latitudes, for example,
the equatorial low-pressure belt at the equator these are called pressure belts
• A big chunk of air that is hundreds of kilometers wide and has the same
temperature and humidity everywhere is called an air mass.
• The place where the cold air from the poles and the warm air from the tropics meet
is called the polar front.
•Stages of Development
1. The initial stage
• is when a bend forms in the polar front.
• a big storm forms (low pressure cell) and the winds start to deflect.
• The winds get stronger. Clouds start to appear.
, 2. The mature stage
• Is when the bend gets deeper.
• The winds get even stronger.
• The difference in air pressure gets bigger.
• The air moves in a clockwise direction.
• The polar front makes a front and a warm front.
• The cold sector has cold weather with strong winds and rain.
3. The partially occluded stage and the occluded stage
• Are when the air in the warm sector is warm and light.
• And the air in the cold sector is cold and heavy.
• The warm sector narrows as the cold front catches up to the warm front.
4. The degeneration stage
• Is when there is mostly air, on the ground
• The mid-latitude cyclone ends up as just a little burst of cold air
• It is cold and the clouds and rain start to clear up
Key Fronts and Sectors
• Cold front is where the cold air meets the warm air. The winds in the cold sector
push against the cold front.
• Warm front is where the warm air meets the warm air. The winds in the warm sector
push against the warm front.
• The warm sector is the ground area that is influenced by the warm air in a mid-
latitude cyclone.
• The cold sector is the ground area that is influenced by the cold air in a mid-latitude
cyclone.
