TORNADOES: When cold air and hot air meet, a tornado is often formed. These are strong, violent rotations of air that has reached speeds of up to 430km per hour in the past. The strongest of tornadoes will ruin everything in its path.
HEY kids! As nice as the Earth is to us, providing us with air, water, food and other resources, it can be just as mighty and dangerous when natural disasters occur.
Here are five of the world’s most dangerous natural disasters:
HURRICANES: These usually form over warm, tropical seas and are also called typhoons or cyclones. A hurricane can spread across nearly 1 000km and reach speeds of up to 320km. Hurricanes can cause further disasters, such as floods, rip currents, vicious winds and tornadoes.
TSUNAMIS: When there is an earth-disturbance below the ocean waters, it creates deep tides that can travel very far, getting bigger and faster as it travels. These tides can have heights and wavelengths of hundreds of metres. It will cause great damage and loss of life, even to areas that are far away from the ocean.
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS: Eruptions occur when there is too much pressure on magma chambers below the earth. Ashes, smoke, steam hot lava and poisonous gases are emitted into the air and surrounding earth and water. It will either damage or destroy all in its vicinity.
WINTER STORMS: The intense winds caused by winter storms, combined with freezing temperatures, can cause frostbite and hypothermia (death by cold) in all surrounding life. Heavy snow can cause motorists and residents to be stuck on the road or in their homes. Frozen water supply can cause dehydration in people and animals.
TORNADOES: When cold air and hot air meet, a tornado is often formed. These are strong, violent rotations of air that has reached speeds of up to 430km per hour in the past. The strongest of tornadoes will ruin everything in its path.
