Most of us have used "the calm before the storm" as a metaphor to describe that period of blissful tranquility that always seems to precede a disaster. But meteorologically speaking, is there really such a thing?
"This piece of weather lore has been around since antiquity," says David Phillips, Environment Canada's senior climatologist. Phillips say that people usually use the expression with reference to a particular kind of hot, humid, blue-sky day when the air is so still that it's almost impossible to imagine any disturbance. By late afternoon, clouds begin to quickly amass, and as if out of nowhere, a raucous thunderstorm develops. At the beginning of the storm, air typically begins to rise up into the storm system, creating an area of low pressure on the ground. In response, air is drawn in from various directions to fill the void, creating a cycle that further fuels the storm.
"Typically, the breezes that are created as air is drawn into the area of low pressure are quite light," Phillips explains. Because of this characteristic cycle, Phillips says that there is some justification for the idea that conditions seem particularly peaceful before the storm truly explodes.
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