Environment

Hurricanes

ImageA hurricane is coming! Boards are nailed over big store windows. Families pack their cars and leave town. A hurricane is a powerful storm with pouring rains and strong winds. Hurricanes can do a lot of damage. They cause floods. They blow down trees. Windows break and roofs fly off of houses.

WHERE DO HURRICANES COME FROM?

Hurricanes start over the ocean. They form over warm water near the equator. The equator is an imaginary line that goes around the middle of the planet.

Seasons

ImageSpring flowers, summer heat, autumn leaves, and winter snow. These are familiar images of the four seasons. Seasons are not the same everywhere. But for people around the world, the changing seasons help mark the passing of the year.

WHY ARE THERE SEASONS?

We have seasons because Earth is tilted! Earth is tilted on its axis as it orbits around the Sun. The axis is the imaginary line that runs between the North Pole and the South Pole. Earth rotates around this axis.

Weather

ImageCrack! With a flash and a bang, a bolt of lightning splits a tree in half. Hurricanes bring the ocean onto the land and carry houses away. Tornadoes pick up cars and throw them through brick walls. Floods turn roads into rivers. What do all these extreme events have in common? They’re all examples of weather.

Usually the weather is less extreme. Maybe you listen to the weather forecast in the morning. You want to know whether it will be cold enough to wear a sweater or jacket, or warm enough to wear shorts. Weather is important for many things that you do. Hot and cold temperatures, wind, rain, and snow are all part of the weather.

Thunder and Lightning

ImageA thunderstorm is coming. A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky. Thunder rumbles in the distance. The storm comes closer. The lightning bolts get brighter. They light up the clouds. The thunder gets louder. It crashes and roars. Thunder and lightning can be frightening.

WHAT IS LIGHTNING?

Lightning is a big electric spark. Sometimes the spark goes between a cloud and the ground. Sometimes the spark goes between two clouds.