Mid-latitude cyclone
The cold front of a mid-latitude cyclone moving towards South Africa affects us the most:
Weather before the Cold Front:
Temperature: Cool, but not as cold as behind the cold front.
Air pressure: Very low pressure.
Clouds: Cumulonimbus clouds (storm clouds) that often bring thunderstorms and
heavy rains.
Weather: Thunderstorms and very unstable weather. Rain is often very strong and
fast.
Weather behind the Cold Front:
Temperature: Much colder than before the front.
Air pressure: Higher pressure, which mostly means that the weather is more stable.
Clouds: Mostly cumulus clouds (clouds that stick out nicely) and partly cloudy.
Weather: Light rain and a more calm atmosphere, without the heavy storms that
occur before the cold front.
Weather conditions before and after the cold front:
How the Mid-Latitude Cyclone Moves: West to East
Other names:
Frontal depression
Temperate cyclone
Outdoor tropical cyclone.
, Location and shape: Mid-latitude cyclones occur between the 30° and 60° latitudes in both
hemispheres in the Westwind belt.
Weather patterns:
They are often linked to strong wind currents, which can cause stormy weather and a
mix of clear and cloudy skies.
Rain, hail, and even tornadoes can occur within a mid-latitude cyclone.
Rotation:
Northern hemisphere: counterclockwise shown
Southern Hemisphere: clockwise
Precautions for a mid-latitude cyclone:
Follow the news and weather reports regularly to stay up-to-date on the cyclone's
development and path.
Make sure windows and doors are tightly closed and if necessary, reinforce them
with wooden planks or other protection to prevent damage from strong winds.
There must be mass evacuation plans in place.
Pack sandbags at coastal areas for flooding.
Limit activities to indoors.
Favorable conditions:
2 high-pressure systems.
Subtropical HD: warm, humid air mass.
Polar HD: cold air.
Air masses meet at polar front, warm air is forced upward and cold air flows in.
Cumulonimbus clouds form.
Stages of the mid-latitude cyclone:
Onset: cold and warm air meet at the polar front.
Development: wave developed along polar front.
Mature: clear low pressure with cold and warm fronts.
Occlusion: cold front overtakes the warm front.
Development of a cold front occlusion:Air behind the cold front is cold. Cold air travels
faster than warm air and catches up with the warm front. The cold air moved under the
warm front and the warm sector's surface was lifted.
The cold front of a mid-latitude cyclone moving towards South Africa affects us the most:
Weather before the Cold Front:
Temperature: Cool, but not as cold as behind the cold front.
Air pressure: Very low pressure.
Clouds: Cumulonimbus clouds (storm clouds) that often bring thunderstorms and
heavy rains.
Weather: Thunderstorms and very unstable weather. Rain is often very strong and
fast.
Weather behind the Cold Front:
Temperature: Much colder than before the front.
Air pressure: Higher pressure, which mostly means that the weather is more stable.
Clouds: Mostly cumulus clouds (clouds that stick out nicely) and partly cloudy.
Weather: Light rain and a more calm atmosphere, without the heavy storms that
occur before the cold front.
Weather conditions before and after the cold front:
How the Mid-Latitude Cyclone Moves: West to East
Other names:
Frontal depression
Temperate cyclone
Outdoor tropical cyclone.
, Location and shape: Mid-latitude cyclones occur between the 30° and 60° latitudes in both
hemispheres in the Westwind belt.
Weather patterns:
They are often linked to strong wind currents, which can cause stormy weather and a
mix of clear and cloudy skies.
Rain, hail, and even tornadoes can occur within a mid-latitude cyclone.
Rotation:
Northern hemisphere: counterclockwise shown
Southern Hemisphere: clockwise
Precautions for a mid-latitude cyclone:
Follow the news and weather reports regularly to stay up-to-date on the cyclone's
development and path.
Make sure windows and doors are tightly closed and if necessary, reinforce them
with wooden planks or other protection to prevent damage from strong winds.
There must be mass evacuation plans in place.
Pack sandbags at coastal areas for flooding.
Limit activities to indoors.
Favorable conditions:
2 high-pressure systems.
Subtropical HD: warm, humid air mass.
Polar HD: cold air.
Air masses meet at polar front, warm air is forced upward and cold air flows in.
Cumulonimbus clouds form.
Stages of the mid-latitude cyclone:
Onset: cold and warm air meet at the polar front.
Development: wave developed along polar front.
Mature: clear low pressure with cold and warm fronts.
Occlusion: cold front overtakes the warm front.
Development of a cold front occlusion:Air behind the cold front is cold. Cold air travels
faster than warm air and catches up with the warm front. The cold air moved under the
warm front and the warm sector's surface was lifted.
