Tropical cyclone warnings and watches facts for kids

When a big storm like a tropical cyclone is coming, weather experts give out special alerts. These alerts are called warnings and watches. They tell people living near the coast to get ready. This is super important because these storms can bring strong winds and lots of rain. Even if the forecast seems to show the storm going somewhere else, it's always best to be prepared. Storms can change direction, and predicting their exact path is tricky. These alerts help keep everyone safe and protect their homes.

What Are Tropical Cyclone Alerts?

Tropical cyclone alerts are special messages from weather forecasters. They tell people in coastal areas about strong storms that are heading their way. These storms can be a tropical storm or a hurricane. The alerts help local people and leaders get ready for the storm. Sometimes, this means moving people out of areas that might be dangerous. It's really important for everyone in the alert area to get ready to protect themselves and their homes. Don't ignore these alerts, even if the forecast looks like the storm might miss you. Tropical cyclones are huge, and predicting their exact path is hard.

What is a Watch?

A tropical storm watch is like an early heads-up. The National Hurricane Center sends it out when a tropical storm might affect an area within 48 hours. This means there's a chance of strong winds from 39 to 73 miles per hour (63 to 117 km/h). For boats and ships, a single square red flag is flown to show there's a tropical storm watch.

What is a Warning?

A tropical storm warning means the storm is very close! This alert is sent out when tropical storm conditions are expected to hit an area within 36 hours or less. These conditions include the same strong winds as a watch. When there's a tropical storm warning, two square red flags are flown for boats and ships. This tells everyone that the storm is coming soon and they need to be ready right away.

Images for kids

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  Alert issued for the Big Island about the message of hurricane warning during Hurricane Lane.