Hydrometeorological hazards are processes

which involve the interaction of the

atmosphere, bodies of water, and land and
which pose threat to lives and human
property.
•TYPHOONS
•STORM SURGES
•THUNDERSTORMS
•FLOODING
•THE EL NIÑO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
(ENSO) CYCLE - EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA
TYPHOONS
TYPHOONS – is a severe weather
disturbance characterized by strong winds
and heavy rains which revolve around a
central low pressure area, locally known as
“bagyo”.
 The classification of tropical cyclones
according to the strength of the associated
winds as adopted by PAGASA (as of 01 May
2015) are as follows:

• TROPICAL DEPRESSION (TD) - a tropical

cyclone with maximum sustained winds of
up to 61 kph.
• TROPICAL STORM (TS) - a tropical cyclone
with maximum wind speed of 62 to 88 kph.

• SEVERE TROPICAL STORM (STS) - a

tropical cyclone with maximum wind speed
of 89 to 117 kph.
• TYPHOON (TY) - a tropical cyclone with
maximum wind speed of 118 to 220 kph.

• SUPER TYPHOON (STY), a tropical cyclone

with maximum wind speed exceeding 220
kph.
 Every year, an average of 22 tropical
cyclones enter the Philippines Area of
Responsibility (PAR), and about half (9-10)
make landfall in the Philippines. In the
Western Pacific Ocean, tropical cyclones can
form in any month of the year.
 The areas in the Philippines which are
most affected by the action of tropical
cyclones are:
1. Northern and Central Luzon
2. Eastern Visayas
TROPICAL CYCLONE STRUCTURE
A tropical cyclone, on the average, has
a total diameter of 550 km but can have a
diameter more than 2000 km wide. Its basic
structure composed of an eye, an eye wall,
and surrounding rain bands.
TROPICAL CYCLONE STRUCTURE
The EYE is the area of the lowest
atmospheric pressure in the structure of the
tropical cyclone. The EYE WALL, the region
surrounding the TC’s center that is 15 km
above sea level, brings the strongest winds,
heavy rains and turbulence.
TROPICAL CYCLONE STRUCTURE
The RAIN BANDS are spiraling strips of
clouds in the fringes of TC which are
associated with rainfall.
EFFECTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Strong Winds – which cover a much

larger area during tropical cyclones, cause
the most obvious damage.
EFFECTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Storm Surges – localized unusual

increase of sea water level way above the
predicted astronomical tide level.
EFFECTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES

Heavy Rains – unlike strong winds and

storm surges, actually occur in tropical of
lower intensity.
 Together with the forecast track, PAGASA also
issues the Public Storm Warning System (PSWS) to
warn citizens of impending wind strength. The PSWS
is as follows:
 Together with the forecast track, PAGASA also
issues the Public Storm Warning System (PSWS) to
warn citizens of impending wind strength. The PSWS
is as follows:
STORM
SURGES
STORM SURGES – is a localized unusual
increase of sea water level beyond the
predicted astronomical tide level primarily
due to intense winds and lowered
atmospheric pressure during the passage of
an intense TC from the sea to the land.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

1. STORM INTENSITY (Wind Speed)

This is related to the speed of storm
cause storm surge is mainly wind driven.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

2. THE PRESSURE EFFECT

Storm surge level is also influenced by
atmospheric pressure. Lower atmopheric
pressure results in a higher storm surge
level.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

3. SIZE
A TC with a larger diameter will form a
higher surge because of the winds
brought by a larger cyclones.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

4. STORM FORWARD SPEED

A TC travelling with a higher velocity
will produce a higher surge along an
open coast.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

5. ANGLE OF APPROACH TO COAST

The amount of surge formed is
affected by the angle by which the TC
hits the coastline.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

6. THE EFFECT OF THE EARTH’S ROTATION

Because of the Coriolis Effect, in the
northern hemisphere currents are bent
to the right while in southern
hemisphere, current are bent to the left.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

7. THE RAINFALL EFFECT

These are accumulated rainwater from
watersheds.
FACTORS THAT THE BUILD-UP OF WATER
SURGE:

8. GEOMETRY
• Bathymetry
• Topography
• Shape of the coastline
• Man-made and natural local features
POTENTIAL DAMAGE BY A STORM SURGE

Infrastructures may not only

submerged they can also be washed away
and destroyed if they are not strongly
rooted.
STORM SURGE RISK-REDUCTION
MEASURES.

1. Prediction, hazard mapping and zoning

2. Construction of storm surge barriers
3. Wetland protection
Storm Surge Barrier, The Netherlands
THUNDER
STORM
THUNDERSTORMS – Is a violent, transient
type of weather disturbance associated
with thousands of meters of tall
cumulonimbus clouds and which usually
involves lightning and thunder, strong
winds, intense rainfall, and occasionally
tornadoes and hail.
 The occurrence of thunderstorms
poses danger to people and to property.
Many people are injured or die in spite of
warnings because they unaware of the
preparedness and safety measures.
Hazards of Thunderstorms are:

• Lightning – is the abrupt, natural,

visible high-voltage electrical discharge
which takes place when positive and
negative charges join within the cloud,
between clouds, or between a cloud and the
ground.
 If lightning
hits an object on
the ground, it is
called a
lightning strike.
HAIL – is a type of solid precipitation.
Hailstone is the individual piece of layered,
rounded or irregularly-shaped ice which is
occasionally produced during
thunderstorm.
When a thunderstorm produces hail, it is
called a hailstorm.
TORNADOES AND WATERSPOUTS –
tornadoes are narrow, funnel-or cylindrical-
shaped, and intensely-rotating columns of
wind that form during powerful
thunderstorms and extend from the base of
cumulonimbus cloud down to the earth’s
surface.
DOWNBURST – – are relatively small,
localized sources of violently descending
strong winds (and precipitation) that travel
along straight-line paths during
thunderstorms.
DOWNBURST – Winds of downbursts can
reach as fast as 240 kph, but last for only a
couple of minutes.
FLASH FLOOD – severe, slow-moving
thunderstorms pour a large amount of
precipitation over a very limited area
extent.
Flash floods are very common in
highly populated urban areas.
FLOODING – is the abnormal rise of water
level in rivers, coastal areas, plains, and in
highly urbanized centers which may be
result of natural phenomena, human
activities, or both. During floods, land
which is usually dry becomes submerged.
Primary Flood Types and Causes

•Riverine – when the level of water

flowing through rivers increases and goes
beyond the average water level, or worse,
further encroaches levees.
Primary Flood Types and Causes

•Estuarine and Coastal - estuarine and

coastal flooding occur when seawater
encroaches low-lying land that is usually
still above sea level.
Primary Flood Types and Causes

•Urban Flooding – usually occurs in high

populated, developed areas set on
relatively low-lying areas like valleys and
plains.
Primary Flood Types and Causes

•Catastrophic Flooding – may result from

ground failure and/or major infrastructure
failure.
THE EL NIÑO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
(ENSO) CYCLE - EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA
The El Niño Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) is a natural climatic phenomenon
characterized mainly by cyclic fluctuation of
warm and cold sea surface temperatures
and atmospheric pressure in the central
and eastern equatorial pacific.
THE EL NIÑO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
(ENSO) CYCLE - EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA
The El Niño Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) is a natural climatic phenomenon
characterized mainly by cyclic fluctuation of
warm and cold sea surface temperatures
and atmospheric pressure in the central
and eastern equatorial pacific.
THE EL NIÑO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION
(ENSO) CYCLE - EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA
ENSO is considered as the most
powerful climatic force on earth. Opposite
extremes of this phenomenon are the El
Niño (warm phase) and the La Niña (cold
phase).