Glossary: weather

8 terms in this category.

• Beaufort Scale
  An empirical scale from 0 to 12 that relates wind speed to observed sea surface conditions and wave heights.
• Hurricane
  A tropical cyclone in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific with sustained winds of 64 knots or more on the Beaufort scale.
• Intertropical Convergence Zone
  A band of low pressure near the equator where trade winds converge, producing persistent convective weather and squalls.
• Monsoon
  A seasonal reversal of prevailing winds affecting the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, bringing heavy rainfall on its wet phase.
• Sea State
  A description of wave conditions at a given location, typically expressed by significant wave height and period.
• Squall
  A sudden, brief and intense increase in wind speed often accompanied by rain or hail, posing an immediate hazard to vessels.
• Swell
  Long-period regular waves that have travelled out of the generating area, independent of current local wind conditions.
• Typhoon
  A tropical cyclone of the western North Pacific with sustained winds exceeding 64 knots, the regional name for a hurricane.