Severe Storms

Severe storms are more common than any other natural hazard and can occur anywhere in Australia. Each year, on average, severe storms are responsible for more damage than tropical cyclones, earthquakes, floods or bushfires. Unfortunately, thunderstorms also kill people - between 5 and 10 deaths are caused by lightning strikes each year. A severe thunderstorm is defined by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) as one which produces:
- Hail, diameter of 2 cm or more ($2 coin size); or
- Wind gusts of 90 km/h or greater; or
- Flash floods; or
- Tornadoes, or any combination of these.

Introduction to Natural Hazards

The Australian Continent experiences a range of natural hazards. Each type of natural hazard presents a different risk to Australian communities. The extreme conditions created by natural hazards impact on communities in many ways causing damage to property, loss of income to people as well as changing the physical environment. When a natural hazard impacts on an Australian community we refer to it as a natural disaster. As geographers we study natural hazards so we can try and predict when and where they are likely to occur in the hope that communities can be better prepared to handle the extreme forces of nature. The main natural hazards that impact Australia are; Tropical Cyclones, Flood, Severe Storms, Earthquakes, Droughts, Bushfires. As geographers, we classify the impacts of natural hazards into three main categories:
- Social
- Economic
- Environmental
This Blog will focus on developing students geographical writing skills through an examination of the 2007 Newcastle Storm.