Extreme Weather Phenomena Quiz

Name:

Date:

Instructions: Test your knowledge of nature's wildest weather, from hurricanes and tornadoes to rainbows and ball lightning.

1.
What is the name for a rotating column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm down to the ground?
A
Hurricane
B
Tornado
C
Typhoon
D
Cyclone
2.
What is the highest wind speed category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale?
A
Category 3
B
Category 4
C
Category 5
D
Category 6
3.
What do meteorologists call the calm, clear center of a hurricane?
A
The core
B
The eye
C
The hub
D
The vortex
4.
What is the term for a severe snowstorm with strong winds that creates whiteout conditions?
A
Nor'easter
B
Squall
C
Blizzard
D
Flurry
5.
Which ocean basin uses the name 'typhoon' instead of 'hurricane' for the same type of tropical storm?
A
Indian Ocean
B
Atlantic Ocean
C
Western Pacific Ocean
D
Southern Ocean
6.
What causes thunder during a thunderstorm?
A
Clouds colliding with each other
B
The rapid expansion of air heated by lightning
C
Hailstones hitting the ground
D
Strong winds pushing against mountains
7.
What is the name of the weather phenomenon where warm Pacific Ocean temperatures cause unusual weather patterns across the globe?
A
La Nina
B
El Nino
C
The Jet Stream
D
The Trade Winds
8.
What is a haboob?
A
A tropical waterspout
B
A large dust storm driven by an outflow of wind from a thunderstorm
C
A type of Arctic blizzard
D
A slow-moving Category 1 hurricane
9.
The Fujita Scale is used to rate the intensity of which weather event?
A
Earthquakes
B
Tornadoes
C
Hurricanes
D
Blizzards
10.
What is a waterspout?
A
A geyser erupting from the ocean floor
B
A tornado that forms over a body of water
C
A heavy rainstorm over the open ocean
D
A wave produced by an underwater earthquake
11.
What is the highest air temperature ever officially recorded on Earth, according to the World Meteorological Organization?
A
118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 C) in Saudi Arabia
B
128 degrees Fahrenheit (53 C) in Pakistan
C
134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.7 C) in Death Valley, USA
D
148 degrees Fahrenheit (64.4 C) in Australia
12.
What rare and mysterious atmospheric phenomenon appears as a floating, glowing ball of light during thunderstorms?
A
St. Elmo's Fire
B
Ball lightning
C
A fire rainbow
D
Aurora borealis
13.
Which U.S. state has the highest average number of tornadoes per year?
A
Oklahoma
B
Kansas
C
Texas
D
Nebraska
14.
What is the name for large hailstones that exceed 4 inches in diameter, roughly the size of a softball?
A
Golf ball hail
B
Grapefruit hail
C
Giant hail
D
Softball hail
15.
What weather condition causes a 'sun dog' — a bright spot of light appearing to the left or right of the sun?
A
Dust particles in the stratosphere
B
Ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds
C
Water droplets forming a secondary rainbow
D
Smoke from distant wildfires

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