What is a rainband?
Q: What is a rainband?
A: A rainband is an area of rainfall where all the clouds and precipitation are stretched out in a long line or band.
Q: What causes rainbands?
A: Rainbands are caused by differences in temperature.
Q: How can tropical cyclone rainbands be identified?
A: When seen on a weather radar, the long narrow shape of tropical cyclone rainbands is called a banded structure.
Q: What does the size of a tropical cyclone's rainband indicate?
A: The size of the rainband around a tropical cyclone helps to measure its intensity.
Q: Can mountains affect the shape of cold front-related rainbands?
A: Yes, mountains can block winds which can then form a low-level barrier jet and change the shape of cold front-related rainbands.
Q: Under what conditions do sea breeze and land breeze meet to form thunderstorms? A: Thunderstorms can form when sea breeze and land breezes meet if enough moisture is present.
Q: How can extratropical cyclones cause large amounts of precipitation?
A: Extratropical cyclones can cause large amounts of rain or snow through their associated rainbands.
