Reported September 2008

How Storms Develop: Storm clouds form as moisture evaporates from the earth into the atmosphere, where the droplets jostle against each other. The air cools off rapidly as it reaches higher altitude. Sometimes a cold front -- the boundary between where the cold air from one thunderstorm meets the air outside the storm, for example -- will force the moist air upward into the colder air. This moist air cools off and the water vapor "condenses" into liquid drops, forming clouds. The process continues: More and more water vapor turns into liquid, and the moist air warms up even more and rises higher. A thunderstorm results.

Asthma or Allergies?: Asthma is a chronic disease affecting the airways that carry air in and out of the lungs. The inside walls of the airways become inflamed (swollen) and narrower so less air can flow through the lung tissues. This in turn causes wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest and trouble breathing. Asthma is linked to allergies, although not everyone with asthma has allergies. People with allergies tend to react more strongly to the presence of allergens such as animal dander, dust mites, pollen or mold, as well as cigarette smoke and air pollution.

The American Meteorological Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Marshall Shepherd
University of Georgia
AAthens, GA
(706) 542-0517
marshgeo@uga.edu

American Meteorological Society
(617) 227-2425
http://www.ametsoc.org