CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

Weather Systems

Nowhere more than at sea does the weather govern lives and
workplace decisions on a daily basis.
The above scene can hardly be conceived as a working environment by most people,
however this is the deck of a very large trading ship in rough seas and high winds.
Understanding the fundamentals of weather patterns particularly in the area a
vessel usually operates, is an important skill for any seaman to acquire, but it is also
knowledge that can be learnt prior to going to sea, simply by taking a greater interest
in weather reports.
This chapter will examine the basic patterns of typical Queensland weather in summer and
winter, and how interpretation of the synoptic chart can aid in the avoidance of bad weather.
Remember, a prudent seaman will avoid bad weather if possible, rather than cope with it,
and a healthy interest in this subject is crucial to the safety and efciency of the ship.
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The movement of air

Most would be aware that air masses move horizontally that,
of course is the wind, and it governs the state of the sea.
But air masses also move vertically as well. A column of air moving upwards is known as an
area of relatively low pressure, and a column of air moving downwards is known as an area
of relatively high pressure. Think of it as if the air had weight. Air falling will be heavier than
air that is rising. The phenomenon of land and sea breezes, with which most will be familiar,
is a perfect example of high and low pressure to look at on a small scale:

Sea Breeze Daytime/Evening

Land Breeze Nightime/Morning

As the land temperature increases through the day,

the air mass above it rises up, creating an area of LOW
pressure compared to the pressure of the air mass
over the sea. This cooler air then moves in toward the
coast as it replaces the rising mass of air. As this rising
air reaches higher altitudes it spreads out in many
directionsandbeginstofallagain(HIGHpressure),and
the cycle continues until the temperature of the land
begins to cool down again.

Overnight, the temperature of the land may drop

below the temperature of the sea, which tends to
remainfairlyconstant.Whenthishappens,theprocess
above is reversed, as it is now the sea that is warming
the air mass above it and forcing it to rise.

It is the vertical movement of air masses that create areas of

high and low pressure, and the tendency for high pressure to
displace low pressure that causes the wind to blow.

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The global pattern

Pressure belts
To understand the planetary distribution of high and low pressure, imagine the lower part
of the atmosphere (called the troposphere) in three dimensions. From the equator, three
main belts of pressure exist between it and the poles; Low pressure around the region of
the equator, high pressure in the mid latitudes, and low pressure towards the poles. These
belts, although interrupted by land masses particularly in the northern hemisphere, basically
encircle the globe, and move throughout the seasons slightly north and south according to
the declination of the sun that is, the angle at which the sun passes through the sky at any
given season of the year.
However, looking at these systems laterally, it can be seen that these air masses also move in
a vertical plane as well.
Due to this vertical circulatory pattern, belts
of high and low pressure are formed by air
masses rising (low pressure) and falling
(high pressure).
Note the position of Northern
Australia it is located generally
in the convergence zone of the
equatorial lows and the mid latitude
highs. In summer, this convergence
zone shifts to the south as it follows
the declination of the sun, and much
of Queensland is affected by less
stable weather. Sometimes steady trade
winds from the south east generated by
the high pressure belt, and sometimes hot
humid winds from the low pressure systems
further north.

The Coriolis Effect

Looking at the previous illustration, you may wonder why all winds on earth dont simply
blow either to the north or the south; after all, high pressure displaces low pressure
This is due to the Coriolis Eect.
As the earth rotates, winds as well as ocean currents are deected to the right of their path
in the northern hemisphere, and to the left of their path in the southern hemisphere.
Now the air masses are not only rotating in a vertical pattern, but now with the deection
caused by the earths movement, they are rotating in a horizontal plane as well!

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Its important to note that the Coriolis Effect becomes more pronounced the further
we move away from the equator. At the equator there is no effect at all.
To help understand this concept, imagine a (very large) cannon at the equator,
and the trajectory of the ball as the earth rotates:

North Pole
(high pressure)

Rotation of
the earth
Polar cell
Polar front
jet stream

Polar Easterlies
Westerlies
Northeasterly
trade winds

Equator

Southeasterly
trade winds
Doldrums
(lowpressure)

Windsaredeectedfrom
north-southdirectionby
Westerlies
the earths rotation
South Pole Subtropical
(high pressure) jet stream

A Projectile red northward

Warm equatorial
air rises and ows
toward South Pole

B Projectile red southward

Therefore, in the southern hemisphere cells of high pressure

rotate anticlockwise if viewed from above, and low pressure cells
rotate clockwise. In the northern hemisphere, the reverse occurs.

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Pressure cells
In a high pressure cell, air moves anticlockwise and outwards at an angle of roughly 250
to the lines of barometric pressure. Remember that high pressure displaces low pressure,
so the air in a low pressure cell moves clockwise and inwards at about the same angle.

In March, equatorial lows are

moving generally northwards
again, allowing south easterly
windstore-establishthemselves
along the Queensland coast.
General surface airow is
indicated by the red arrows.

The synoptic chart

A mean sea level synoptic chart is used to gather information about the weather.
Think of this map to begin with as being similar to a topographic map of hills and valleys,
only the contour lines in this case indicate equal areas of pressure, rather than height as
it would on a map of the land. The low pressure areas are valleys, and high pressure cells
are the mountains. On a weather chart, these contour lines are called isobars, and the
pressure is measured in hectoPascals. Where these lines are close together, the gradient
is steep, just like a high, steep mountain. Where they are more widely spread, the gradient
is shallow, like a gentle hill.

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On a synoptic weather chart, a steep pressure gradient means stronger winds just as if
you coasted on a push bike down a steep hill, it would accelerate faster than on a hill with a
shallow gradient.

Remember the basic rules for the movement of air masses outlined previously, and it can
now be seen that on the 7th of February 1992, southern Queensland was experiencing
winds from the southeast caused by the anticlockwise and outward movement of air from
the high pressure system centred in the Tasman Sea. Near the central coast, the rapidly
steepening pressure gradient caused by Cyclone Oliver would mean much stronger winds
from the south and south west as the air departing the high pressure cell is drawn rapidly
into this intense low pressure cell. Perth is experiencing fresh south westerly winds. Darwin
is experiencing sultry weather with light, variable winds.

102

18

10

1024


1016
1012
1000




LOW

Flow of air around high and low pressure systems.

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HIGH

CHAPTER 4

Fronts and line squalls

A major feature of the synoptic chart in Australia are fronts. Cold and warm air masses do
not like to mix, and as cold polar air is swept up from the south by the clockwise rotation
of low pressure systems to the south of the continent, a wall of cold air is indicated on the
chart by a solid line with triangles on its leading edge. This is a cold front. Cold fronts rarely
reach northern Queensland, however in southern Australia they predominate and pass from
west to east quite regularly.
A warm front occurs when a warm air mass is swept southwards by a low pressure system.
They are not often seen on an Australian weather chart, but are a common feature in the
northern hemisphere where there are much larger land masses.
A cold front brings a sudden change - temperature drops sharply and the wind direction also
changes suddenly towards the south as the front passes. Study the chart on the previous
page to see why this happens.
A warm front can pass by unnoticed however, as they are spread over an area sometimes in
excess of 800 miles, compared to a cold front which may be as narrow as 50 miles.
A line squall is like a cold front on a smaller scale. A wedge of cool air driving in under warm
air as it moves forward. The phenomenon is usually brief, but may be violent. Line squalls can
be seen from some distance at sea, and should be treated with caution as sudden high winds
can cause havoc on deck, or cause the ship to drag its anchor in what was a protected bay
just minutes before.

A line squall.

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