HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — From heavy rain to floods, to hurricanes, severe weather isn’t anything Houstonians aren’t used to.<\/p>\n
But now, researchers from Texas A&M University say the city itself may be part of the story.<\/p>\n
A new study from the university examined more than 40,000 storms that went through all four of Texas’ major metropolitan areas from 1995 to 2017.<\/p>\n
“We did Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. Key findings were that different types of storms are affected differently by cities.” Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, the state climatologist, said.<\/p>\n
He said at times, storms can become more intense over major cities like Houston because of the heat.<\/p>\n
“Cities are typically warmer than surrounding areas, and the air over the city can be more unstable, especially at night,” Nielsen-Gammon said.<\/p>\n
Another key factor, he says, is a city’s infrastructure.<\/p>\n
“Buildings can act as obstacles to wind flow, creating more turbulence and forcing air higher, which can help trigger thunderstorms,” he said.<\/p>\n
But the study found that cold fronts caused storms to behave differently, and that their intensity dropped by about 16% to 28% in cities compared to rural areas.<\/p>\n
“Because of the urban heat island, as the storm is approaching the city, you get a maximum difference in temperature in the cold air and the warm air, and that could lead to the storm potentially being stronger before they reach the city,” he said.<\/p>\n
As for why this study should matter to the public, researchers say the results not only show how different cities will experience extreme weather but also help people prepare.<\/p>\n
“It’s important for people to realize that they shouldn’t necessarily wait until they start seeing a thunderstorm in the distance before actually realizing the actual threat of the thunderstorms,” he said.<\/p>\n
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