What is the link between these Headlines? ‘Tornado outbreak that left 342 dead was biggest in history with 226 twisters in just one day’ The Mail Online 3 may 2011 Australia heatwave claims 37 lives Record-breaking heatwave as the Country endures its hottest temperatures since 1855 guardian.co.ukguardian.co.uk, 2 February 2009 Asia extreme cold 2008 Worst winter in decades Freak cold and snow across the southern half of China killed more than 100 people, Alert.net

Will we see more extreme Weather in the future? weather-extreme-weather.html What sorts of extreme weather are mentioned on the video?

The media seems to be telling us that extreme weather events are more common as a result of climate change but is this true?

Notes for lessons Link between climate change and tornadoes No link between climate change and tornadoes

We will investigate……. Looking at the severe Tornado outbreak in America (Mid-West April 2011) TORNADO ALLEY This area of the USA is prone to Tornadoes every spring. The above map shows the locations of all the tornadoes that touched down on the 28 th April 2011

Task: Shade your American map to show the states that suffered tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak Oklahoma Missouri Alabama Texas Ohio Georgia Missisippi North Carolina Tenesse Arkansas Virginia

Tornado facts Race : In groups of 2 take it in turns to come up to the front for 15 seconds and memorise the most important piece of information about the investigation. Return back to your seat and write down as much as you can remember! Next person comes up and the process repeats 2 times. All groups will then take part in a quick quiz on the SUPER OUTBREAK to see who is the best journalist team

Super outbreak quiz 1. Which state was worse effected by the outbreak? 2. What is a name of a town that was badly affected? 3. How big was the tornado in this town? 4. How many days did the outbreak last? 5. In the super outbreak where did the warm moist air come from? 6. Roughly, how many tornados are there in the US each year? 7. Which country, after the USA, has the most tornadoes?

Quiz answers 1.Alabama 2. Tuscaloosa 3. 1 mile wide and speeds of 200 mph (F5) 4. 4 days 5. The Gulf of Mexico 6. 1, Australia

Disaster Summary Date of tornado outbreak: April 25 – April 28, 2011 Duration 1 :4 days Maximum rated tornado 2 : EF5EF5 tornado Tornadoes caused: 327 confirmed (Exact total is uncertain) Damages: ~$6 billion (2011 USD) (insured costs) [ 1] [ 1] Fatalities/ deaths344 total Confirmed deaths by state Alabama: 162 Mississippi: 33 Tennessee: 33 Georgia: 13 Virginia: 8 Kentucky: 1

Tuscaloosa, Alabama devastated by 'monster' tornado In Alabama, the worst-hit state, more than 162 have died - including 36 killed by a deadly F5 tornado that devastated the city of Tuscaloosa. The tornado completely Wiped out 30% of The small city

GuARQhttp:// GuARQ Some great footage of the outbreak Du2ZIohttp:// Du2ZIo

Does Climate Change mean more deadly tornado Outbreaks? Unfortunately, there will be more massively deadly tornado outbreaks in the future. With populations growing in tornado-prone areas, there is an increasing risk of future outbreaks causing loss of life. The NWA emphasizes that no single series of tornado events should be construed as evidence of a climate trend. However warming trends do create more of the fuel that tornadoes require, such as moisture

Trends in tornado activity Since 1975 the trend shows a decline in the number of strong tornadoes recorded. Does this fit in with the belief that extreme weather is on the increase?

So….. Will we see more tornadoes deaths as a result of climate change? Success criteria: Include a balanced answer (points that agree, and disagree) Case study detail (figures, place names)

Task: create a 60 second news report on the SUPER OUTBREAK You are a major news Reporter on the BBC and have a 60-second update slot in which to tell the world about the American outbreak. In groups of 4, prepare you report and practise delivering it. These will be shown to the class at the end.