Storm's 'a brewin'
Shit.
-- Two sailors
Storms in the
Middle Sea are the things of nightmares. The only good news is that these storms build slowly. Once a storm forms, however, it will not give up its fury until it is well over land or its back is broken on the islands mountains.
Middle Sea Storms
Storms generally develop out of the southern and eastern seas near midsummer and continue until late into autumn coinciding with the warm waters of the Middle Seas and Southern Seas. These storms generally develop a counterclockwise rotation, and develop significant wind fields, heavy rains and may even spawn tornadoes and water spouts.
These storms can last from 15-20 days as they traverse the breadth of the sea and can stay over a land location from 1-3 days.
Common storms
The most common storms occur early in the cycle and can build winds and rains up to 100 to 150km from the center. The winds near the core can range from 75 kilometers per hour in the weakest storms to 175 kilometers per hour in the more common storms.
In these storms, severe damage can be experienced to coastal dwellings, particularly those on the eastern sides of the islands where the mountains are yet to break its force. Sailors have developed a number of techniques to avoid these storms, including staying close to coastlines and a series of early warnings and divinations to predict the more severe storms.
The most severe storms
The most severe storms occur in late autumn and during the conjunctions of the moons. These storms can build up winds and rains up to 200km from the center, with winds near the core reaching well over 250 kilometers per hour in the largest storms. The worst on record in 4500 was estimated to have had sustained winds over 300 kilometers per hour and gusts of over 400 kilometers per hour.
During these storms, the air pressure can drop by up to 150mb in the center of the storms. On several occasions where strong
auroras were also occuring, the eyewall of the storm electrified.
Storm surges of up to 15m in the largest storms can wipe entire settlements from the islands unless they are magically protected. All vegetation will be stripped from the land, leaving only bare stalks standing in the skies.
No waterborne vessel or creature ever entering these storms has returned.
Mitigation
The people of the
Dragonshome Islands have developed complex ritual magics to blunt the impacts of these storms, but they cannot completely dissipate them. That is why with only the northernmost island as an exception, cities are found on the western sides of the islands where they are protected by mountain ranges. The northernmost cities are protected by the strong currents of the
Maelstrom and the cooler waters from the
Northern Continent.
When warnings of the strongest storms are given, peoples retreat higher up into mountain cave complexes with wards to protect against the wind and debris. When they return, they will rebuild from what's left over. And that is often nothing.
Comments