Geography Topic
Extreme weather conditions
- Read notes
- Flashcards
- Quiz
- Confident
Study focus - 3 things
- Extreme weather = unusually severe or rare events that depart from normal patterns
- Caribbean exposure: hurricanes, droughts, flooding, heatwaves — all extreme weather forms relevant to Jamaica
- Climate change is making many forms of extreme weather more frequent and more intense
Section 1What "extreme weather" means
Extreme weather is weather that's significantly more severe or unusual than the normal pattern for a place. It's defined by both rarity (something that doesn't happen often) and intensity (well above or below typical values). A 35°C day in Kingston isn't extreme; a 42°C day would be.
Section 2Common forms
Hurricanes (intense tropical cyclones with high winds and storm surge), heatwaves (prolonged abnormally high temperatures), cold snaps (prolonged abnormally low temperatures, less relevant to the tropics), droughts (long periods of below-normal rainfall), floods (excessive water from rain, river overflow, or storm surge), severe thunderstorms with hail or tornadoes.
Section 3Why extreme weather is increasing
A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapour, which fuels heavier rainfall and stronger storms. Warmer oceans give hurricanes more energy to intensify. Shifting patterns in atmospheric circulation move droughts and heatwaves to new places. Climate change is making many extreme events more frequent, more intense, or both.
Section 4Caribbean exposure
Jamaica and the wider Caribbean are particularly exposed to hurricanes, flooding, and droughts. Hurricane season runs roughly June–November. Recent decades have seen stronger storms, longer droughts, and more frequent severe flooding events. Knowing the warning signs and following the national disaster plan saves lives.
Examples
Jamaica normally gets afternoon thunderstorms in summer. Why isn't this counted as "extreme weather"?
Because it's NORMAL — it happens every summer. Extreme weather is defined as departures from the normal pattern. A typical afternoon thunderstorm fits the pattern; a multi-day, island-wide flooding event would be the extreme version.
Why do warmer ocean temperatures make hurricanes stronger?
Hurricanes draw their energy from warm ocean water (typically 27°C+). Warmer water = more evaporation = more heat and moisture rising = a stronger storm. Climate change is raising sea surface temperatures, which is why recent hurricanes have been intensifying faster.
Now let's water it
Session runs notes to flashcards to quiz back-to-back.