| A | B |
|---|
| Air mass thunderstorm | Type of thunderstorm in which air rises because of unequal heating of Earth's surface within a single air mass and is most common during the afternoon or evening |
| Tornado | Violent, whirling column of air in contact with the ground that forms when wind direction and speed suddenly change with height |
| Cold wave | Extended period of lower-than-normal temperatures, caused by large high-pressure systems of continental polar or arctic origin |
| Wind-chill factor | Phenomenon measured by the wind-chill index, which estimates the heat loss from human skin caused by a combination of wind and cold air. |
| Supercell | Extremely powerful, self-sustaining thunderstorm characterized by intense, rotating updrafts |
| Drought | Extended period of low rainfall, usually caused by shifts in global wind patterns, allowing high-pressure systems to remain for weeks or months over continental areas. |
| Eye | Calm center of a tropical cyclone that develops when the winds around its center reach at least 120 km/h. |
| Fujita tornado intensity scale | Classifies tornadoes according to their wind speed, duration, and path of destruction on a scale ranging from F0 to F5. |
| Heat wave | Extended period of higher-than-normal temperatures caused by large, high-pressure systems that warm by compression and block cooler air masses. |
| Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale | Classifies hurricanes according to air pressure in the center, wind speed, and property damage potential on a scale ranging from Category 1 to Category 5. |
| Sea-breeze thunderstorm | Local air-mass thunderstorm that commonly occurs along a coastal area during the summer. |
| Storm surge | Occurs when powerful, hurricane-force winds drive a mound of ocean water toward shore, where it washes over the land, often causing enormous damage. |
| Downburst | Violent, damaging thunderstorm wind that is concentrated in a local area. |
| Tropical cyclone | Large, low-pressure, rotating storm that gets its energy from the evaporation of warm ocean water and the release of heat. |
| Frontal thunderstorm | Type of thunderstorm usually produced by an advancing cold front, which can result in a line of thunderstorms hundreds of kilometers long, or, more rarely, an advancing warm front. |
| Eyewall | Band where the strongest winds in a hurricane are usually concentrated, surrounding the eye. |
