Heat waves, tornadoes and tropical storms are classed as atmospheric (or climatic) natural hazards , often described more broadly as extreme weather events or climatic hazards.

Quick Scoop: What type of hazard?

In school geography and hazard classification, these events fall under:

  • Atmospheric / climatic hazards – because they are created by processes in the atmosphere (air, temperature, pressure, and moisture). Heat waves, tropical storms and tornadoes are all in this group.
  • They are also commonly grouped as extreme weather events , since they involve unusually intense or prolonged weather conditions.

So if you see a multiple‑choice question, the best answer is:

They are atmospheric (climatic) natural hazards – a type of extreme weather hazard.

Tiny table for revision

Hazard| Type of natural hazard
---|---
Heat wave| Atmospheric / climatic hazard53
Tornado| Atmospheric / climatic hazard59
Tropical storm| Atmospheric / climatic hazard59

TL;DR: They’re not tectonic or geological – they’re atmospheric/climatic natural hazards driven by extreme weather in the atmosphere.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.