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Wed, 20 Aug 2008 | |
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You are in: Weather > SA regional > Ecucation  COASTAL LOWS A coastal low is a shallow low pressure system limited to the lower layers of the atmosphere and is formed when the wind blows from the land TO the sea, usually during bergwinds. These coastal low pressure systems usually form off the Namibian or West Coast of SA. They then slowly move doen the coast and round the SW Cape and then move up the East Coast of SA where they finally fill up along the Mozambique coast where the plateau ceases to exist. Click on the minimised image below to view a larger diagram showing how the coastal low is formed.
 Click to view a larger image. Air moves off the coast at a height of approximately 1500m. This creates a relative "vacuum" at the surface as air rises to replace the air that is moving away from the coast. In a low pressure system, air rises clockwise in the southern hemisphere and the resultant circulation around the low pressure is the same. Hence, prior to the presence of a coastal low, the winds are usually offshore and in Cape Town they are usually in the form of hot, dry NE bergwinds. Once the coastal low moves through the area, the hot, dry winds are replaced by cool, moist NW-SW winds and usually fog. Coastal lows usually precede cold fronts in winter.
 Click to view a larger image. Click on the minimised image above to view a larger image showing the various synoptic features associated with a coastal low. [ back ]
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