Global Warming and Storm Chasing

In this midst of all this ecological upheaval are the Storm Chasers who follow at the heels of climactic change. Storm chasing is the observation or infiltration of any kind of storm system for scientific research, media reporting (television and radio), personal interest (such as photography), or even for recreational purposes.

Anyone who can drive a car, has a thorough knowledge of the type of storm likely to be encountered and understands the principles of storm chasing can be involved. You do not need a special license or training to do it.

If the chaser understands what they are doing and is aware of what they are dealing with, then storm chasing is not considered dangerous - although storms do deserve respect. Alarmingly, it is usually unsuspecting people who become the victims of storms, not the people who chase them.

Conditions will vary according to the type of storm experienced and the severity of the event, but you can generally expect high winds, heavy rain with the possibility of flooding, very large hailstones, lightning and poor or zero visibility.

The minimum equipment required for storm chasing is protective weather clothing and a means of transport - namely a vehicle or an aircraft. For obvious reasons, aircraft tend to be used for professional storm research. There are several different kinds of chasing activity which can be broadly categorised according to the kind of storm system being tracked.

Storm chasers define several different types of chasing activity. In practice, any type of storm or weather anomaly can be followed, tracked, and observed and different approaches can be taken.

Storms can be directly penetrated or 'core punched'. Core punching is when the chaser passes through the centre of the storm.

For hurricane research, this could be important but is potentially dangerous. This technique, however, is too dangerous with a tornado. Storms can also be observed indirectly, where the chaser passes close to the storm centre, but not actually through it. This method is best for tornado observation. The method to choose depends on thorough knowledge of the storm involved, safety constraints, the type and speed of your vehicle, and most of all, the type and nature of the storm involved.

Examples of Types of Storms encountered by Storm Chasers

Extra-tropical Cyclones