storm
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GC: n

S: SMH – http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-storm-12-areas-declared-natural-disaster-zones-20150422-1mr4up.html (last access: 25 June 2015); ICDO – http://www.icdo.org/en/disasters/natural-disasters/storms/ (last access: 25 June 2015).

N: 1. Old English storm “violent disturbance of the atmosphere, tempest; onrush, attack, tumult; disturbance,” from Proto-Germanic sturmaz storm, from PIE stur-mo-, from root *(s)twer- “to turn, whirl”.
Old French estour “onset, tumult,” Italian stormo “a fight” are Germanic loan-words. Figurative (non-meteorological) sense was in late Old English.
Storm-wind is from 1798. Storm-door first recorded 1872; storm-water is from 1847; storm-window is attested from 1824. Storm surge attested from 1872.

2. Two definitions according to International Meteorological Vocabulary, WMO – No. 182:

  1. An atmospheric disturbance involving perturbations of the prevailing pressure and wind fields, on scales ranging from tornadoes (1 km across) to extratropical cyclones (2000-3000 km across).
  2. Wind with a speed between 48 and 55 knots (Beaufort scale wind force 10).

3. tempest, storm.

By tempest, is understood, the utmost violence of the wind; by storm, a commotion of the elements.

Tempests, are more dreadful at sea, than storms.

We use the word storm, to denote any violence of weather; but, then, in order, to determine what weather we mean, we are under a necessity of adding such other words to it, as shall express the idea, we want to convey. Thus, we say, a storm of wind; a storm of hail, &c. but, the word tempest, is understood to be, neither more or less, than, as was said before, the ut|most violence of the wind: should this excess of wind, be atttended with rain, thunder and lightning, it, then, becomes a storm.

We, may, say, with propriety, a great storm; but a great tempest, would be absurd.

Words cannot describe the distresses of seamen, when out, in tempestuous weather. Stormy weather, is, generally, succeeded by serene.

4. Cultural Interrelation: We can mention the play The Tempest (1611) written by William Shalkespeare (1564-1616), the book The Storm (1704) written by Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), and The Storm of the Century (1999), the American horror television miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley.

S: 1. Etymonline – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=storm&searchmode=none (last access: 25 June 2015). 2. METEOTERM/IMV (last access: 25 June 2015). 3. LibUMich – https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/ecco/004892937.0001.002/1:2.144?rgn=div2;view=fulltext (last access: 30 July 2024). 4. GR – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12985.The_Tempest, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2943.The_Storm, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13451.Storm_of_the_Century (last access: 3 July 2015 & 30 July 2024).

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CR: cyclogenesis, erosioneruptionexplosive cyclogenesis, low-pressure area, natural disaster, thunderstorm.