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Squalls - explation please

  • 13-12-2011 5:47pm
    #1
    Discodog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,960 ✭✭✭✭


    So a very topical question - what causes Squalls.

    Today has been a classic example where, in Galway, the wind has been moderate until a cloud appears. In fact often the increase in wind was the first sign that a shower was on the way. So what causes such a localised wind as a squall ?


Comments

  • #2
    Fieldies Dreams
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 156 ✭✭Fieldies Dreams


    a squall is when god farts


  • #3
    premiercad
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 354 ✭✭premiercad


    A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow.Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event.They usually occur in a region of strong mid-level height falls, or mid-level tropospheric cooling, which force strong localized upward motions at the leading edge of the region of cooling, which then enhances local downward motions just in its wake.


    Thanks to wikipedia :DDa internet is great


  • #4
    Deep Easterly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,150 ✭✭✭Deep Easterly


    Discodog wrote: »
    So a very topical question - what causes Squalls.

    Today has been a classic example where, in Galway, the wind has been moderate until a cloud appears. In fact often the increase in wind was the first sign that a shower was on the way. So what causes such a localised wind as a squall ?

    Downdrafts from an approaching shower fan out ahead of it causing an increase in gustiness as well as a drop in temp. Though squally, the showers today - at least in this part of the country - could not be describe as squalls in the meteorological sense.


  • #5
    Discodog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,960 ✭✭✭✭Discodog


    Deep Easterly wrote: »
    Downdrafts from an approaching shower fan out ahead of it causing an increase in gustiness as well as a drop in temp. Though squally, the showers today - at least in this part of the country - could not be describe as squalls in the meteorological sense.

    So what causes the downdraft ? I would of thought that a powerful shower would produce updrafts. The really noticeable thing today was that there was a big increase in wind speed during the showers especially this afternoon.


  • #6
    the keen edge
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭the keen edge


    Nice article for you here discodog.


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  • #7
    Deep Easterly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,150 ✭✭✭Deep Easterly


    Discodog wrote: »
    So what causes the downdraft ? I would of thought that a powerful shower would produce updrafts. The really noticeable thing today was that there was a big increase in wind speed during the showers especially this afternoon.

    An updraft is when warmer air is being drawn up into the shower, a downdraft is when cold air is forced down from it. When warmer air from an updraft is drawn into a shower, the cooler air in the higher reaches of the shower begins to descend due to the relative temperature differences between the two. (cold air descends by nature anyway).


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