Tropical Storms

Last week, one of the children was curious as to how a tsunami was different to a tropical storm so this week we looked at how tropical storms are formed, where they are found and which way the spin.

After viewing a short clip, the children identified that a tropical storm can be called a hurricane, cyclone or a tornado. The only difference is where they are formed in the world. Tropical storms need heat, moisture and wind. 

Tropical storms are formed between 5 degrees and 15 degrees north or south of the Equator.in the Northern Hemisphere the storms rotate anti-clockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere they rotate clockwise. Storms need to have an average of at least 120km/h to be classed as a tropical storm. 

Once the children had finished their discussions they then made a tornado in a bottle. The children loved this practical activity.