Weather hazards and atmospheric circulation
Follow atmospheric circulation, explain a tropical cyclone and connect a warning to the people it reaches.
Trace heat and air movement
Uneven solar heating produces contrasts in temperature and pressure. Warm equatorial air tends to rise, cool and condense; descending subtropical air warms and tends to suppress cloud formation.
The three-cell model summarises long-term circulation. Seasons, land and ocean patterns and individual weather systems complicate it. Surface winds are deflected by Earth’s rotation.
Worked example
Fictional monthly rainfall totals of 10, 15 and 25 mm sum to 50 mm. A seasonal total needs all months in that season; it is not a monthly mean.
Common mistake: The circulation model is a broad pattern, not a daily forecast.
Build a tropical cyclone explanation
Warm ocean water supplies moisture and energy. Rising moist air condenses, releasing latent heat that helps sustain uplift. Organised rotation requires sufficient Coriolis influence, so formation is uncommon very close to the equator.
Strong winds, intense rainfall and storm surge create different hazard pathways. Landfall, cooler water and disruptive wind shear can weaken a storm.
Worked example
A fictional forecast gives a 2 m surge above the predicted tide. A 1 m tide plus that surge suggests 3 m relative to the same reference level; wave run-up requires separate consideration.
Common mistake: Surge height and total water level use different reference points.
Turn a warning into a response
A forecast can support evacuation and preparation. People need to receive, understand and trust the message, and have a feasible route to safety.
Evaluate warning lead time and reach alongside shelter capacity, accessible transport and residual risk. An accurate forecast alone does not establish protection.
Worked example
A fictional warning reaches 9,000 of 12,000 households: 75%. If 6,000 evacuate, the data do not reveal whether all had received it or could travel safely.
Common mistake: Message receipt is not the same as successful evacuation.
Try a different resource
Climate graphs
Use the accompanying exact monthly values for calculations. Both axes begin at zero.
Scroll the diagram sideways to see the full resource.
| Month | Rainfall (mm) | Temperature (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83 | 7 |
| Feb | 79 | 8 |
| Mar | 113 | 11 |
| Apr | 89 | 14 |
| May | 29 | 18 |
| Jun | 21 | 21 |
| Jul | 32 | 23 |
| Aug | 35 | 22 |
| Sep | 22 | 19 |
| Oct | 21 | 15 |
| Nov | 85 | 11 |
| Dec | 107 | 8 |
Resource description
Jan: 83 mm, 7°C; Feb: 79 mm, 8°C; Mar: 113 mm, 11°C; Apr: 89 mm, 14°C; May: 29 mm, 18°C; Jun: 21 mm, 21°C; Jul: 32 mm, 23°C; Aug: 35 mm, 22°C; Sep: 22 mm, 19°C; Oct: 21 mm, 15°C; Nov: 85 mm, 11°C; Dec: 107 mm, 8°C
Write an explanation
Check your answer
- Explain at least two hazard pathways.
- Use the named event’s evidence rather than fictional worked values.
- Connect warning and protection measures to vulnerable groups.
- Explain conditions where preparation is insufficient.
Practise and review a written answer
Case studies
Typhoon Haiyan, 2013 · Hurricane Katrina, 2005 · Somerset flooding, 2013–14
These pages provide selected evidence. Check the whole case requirement with your teacher.
Read further
- weather.metoffice.gov.uk — source or course reference
- www.aqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.aqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- qualifications.pearson.com — source or course reference
- www.sqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.sqa.org.uk — source or course reference
- qualifications.pearson.com — source or course reference
- www.ocr.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.ocr.org.uk — source or course reference
- www.eduqas.co.uk — source or course reference
- www.eduqas.co.uk — source or course reference
- www.eduqas.co.uk — source or course reference
Storm surge and coastal inundation · Hazard, exposure and vulnerability · Adaptation to changing conditions
Course links
AQA GCSE Geography · Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography B · National 5 Geography · Higher Geography · Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A · OCR GCSE Geography A · OCR GCSE Geography B · Eduqas GCSE Geography A · Eduqas GCSE Geography B · Eduqas A-level Geography
Next topics
Climate change: evidence, causes and responses · Tectonic hazards: explain the different impacts
Selected teaching sequence with fictional worked data. The linked case records supply bounded evidence; they do not satisfy every course case requirement.
Scottish links identify reusable parts of the topic. Scottish landforms, soil, weather and disease requirements need additional course-specific teaching.