There are three main types of storms as defined by both climatologists and meteorologists: thunderst

There are three main types of storms as defined by both climatologists and meteorologists: thunderstorms, tropical cyclones and extra-tropical cyclones. This image, taken by a EUMESTAT weather satellite on January 29 2013, actually shows an example of all three types.A storm in general terms can be described as a disturbance to the atmosphere in which there is a redistribution of heat and the development of some combination of clouds, wind and precipitation.Size wise, thunderstorms are the smallest. They develop when a mass of warm humid air is disturbed and forced to rise over a cold front or even rugged topography, for example. The air expands and cools as it ascends, increasing the humidity until the water vapor condenses into liquid droplets or ice crystals in clouds.Tropical cyclones, more commonly known as hurricanes or typhoons, are significantly larger than thunderstorms. They form when thunderstorms organise into a larger system and start flowing in the notable circular pattern around a low pressure centre. Tropical cyclones feed off warm ocean temperatures; a temperature of 26.5°C (80F) and above is required for a tropical cyclone to form.The largest of the three storm types is the extra-tropical cyclones, also known as mid-latitude cyclones. These storms can bring a variety of weather conditions from rainstorms to blizzards and they typically begin in in the mid or high latitudes. Unlike tropical cyclones, these storms do not gain their fuel from warm air derived from warm equatorial oceans. Instead, they gain energy from the interactions of large horizontal air masses, known as fronts, that contain different temperatures or humidity levels.-JeanImage courtesy of NASA’s earth observatory.Further reading:Thunderstorms: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorms/ingredient.htmHirricanes: http://www.hurricanescience.org/science/science/development/Extra-tropical storms: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/%28Gh%29/guides/mtr/cyc/home.rxml -- source link
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