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Tornadoes form in unusually violent thunderstorms when there is sufficient (1) instability and (2) wind shear present in the lower atmosphere.
Instability refers to unusually warm and humid conditions in the lower atmosphere, and possibly cooler than usual conditions in the upper atmosphere. Wind shear in this case refers to the wind direction changing, and the wind speed increasing, with height. An example would be a southerly wind of 15 mph at the surface, changing to a southwesterly or westerly wind of 50 mph at 5,000 feet altitude.
This kind of wind shear and instability usually exists only ahead of a cold front and low pressure system. The intense spinning of a tornado is partly the result of the updrafts and downdrafts in the thunderstorm (caused by the unstable air) interacting with the wind shear, causing a tilting of the wind shear to form an upright tornado vortex. Helping the process along, cyclonically flowing air around the cyclone, already slowly spinning in a counter-clockwise direction (in the Northern Hemisphere), converges inward toward the thunderstorm, causing it to spin faster. This is the same process that causes an ice skater to spin faster when she pulls her arms in toward her body.
Other processes can enhance the chances for tornado formation. For instance, dry air in the middle atmosphere can be rapidly cooled by rain in the thunderstorm, strengthening the downdrafts that are needed for tornado formation. Notice that in virtually every picture you see of a tornado the tornado has formed on the boundary between dark clouds (the storm updraft region) and bright clouds (the storm downdraft region), evidence of the importance of updrafts and downdrafts to tornado formation.
Also, an isolated strong thunderstorm just ahead of a squall line that then merges with the squall line often becomes tornadic; isolated storms are more likely to form tornadoes than squall lines, since an isolated storm can form a more symmetric flow pattern around it, and the isolated storm also has less competition for the unstable air which fuels the storm than if it were part of a solid line (squall line) of storms.
Because both instability and wind shear are necessary for tornado formation, sometimes weak tornadoes can occur when the wind shear conditions are strong, but the atmosphere is not very unstable. For instance, this sometimes happens in California in the winter when a strong low pressure system comes ashore. Similarly, weak tornadoes can occur when the airmass is very unstable, but has little wind shear. For instance, Florida -- which reports more tornadoes than any other state in the U.S. -- has many weaker tornadoes of this variety. Of course, the most violent tornadoes occur when both strong instability and strong wind shear are present, which in the U.S. occurs in the middle part of the country during the spring, and to a lesser extent during fall.Interesting facts:TORNADO COUNTRY The United States experiences more tornadoes than anyplace else in the world. A few other countries that experience especially violent tornadoes include India, Bangladesh, and Argentina. It is estimated that over 95% of all tornadoes spin cyclonically (counter-clockwise). Oddly, the very first recorded video of a tornado was of one that was spinning in the otherdirection(!)
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoNo, overall a hurricane causes more damage because it affects a much larger area and brigs flooding in addition to strong winds.
Tornadoes, however, can cause more severe localized damage.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoyes wind and water kills more people in hurricanes because when the wind is so strong it blows people away and it kills lots of people because of all the thing flying around. also water kills alot of people because people drown in the water flying away but wind kills more in hurricanes.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoWind. The wind in a strong tornado can tear buildings apart. Water is not involved in causing tornado damage.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoWind causes tornadoes. Since wind goes in all directions it will go around in a circle pushing at every side. This causes a tornado to form.
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoYes. A tornado is a vortex of very strong wind. Near a tornado there will be fast wind blowing into the storm.
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Which is more destructive the winds of a hurricane or a tornado?
Generally tornado winds are more destructive that hurricane winds. Hurricane winds, however, cause damage over a much larger area than a tornado, so the overall amount of damage may be greater. The worst damage in a hurricane is usually the result of flooding.
Is a tornado or a hurricane more severe over a wide area?
A hurricane affects a much wider area while a tornado can cause more severe damage in a small area.
Do tornadoes do more damage than hurricanes?
They often do as they cover a larger area and often cause flooding in addition to wind damage. The costliest tornado in U.S. history, the Joplin tornado of 2011, cost $2.8 billion. The costliest hurricane in U.S. history, Hurricane Katrina, cost $105 billion.
How is damage from a hurricane different from a tornado?
the different damages between a hurricane and a tornado is tornadoes destroy everything in is path like if your walking and a tornado is right behind you its just gonna kill you. but a hurricane just removes something and place it somewhere else like if your at the park playing on the swing and you don't see a hurricane behind you its just gonna pick you up and drop you somewhere else or drop trees into house and stuff
What causes more damage a tornado a hurricane or an earthquake?
A hurricane
How does the size and strength of a tornado relate to the amount of destruction it cause?
Generally the stronger the tornado, the more severe the damage it causes. A large tornado can affect a larger area than a small tornado and therefore cause a greater quantity of damage, though it is not necessarily more severe.
Can a hurricane cause more destruction than a tornado?
Yes. A hurricane affects a much larger area than a tornado and so will likely cause more damage overall. Tornado damage is generally more severe than hurricane damage, but it is limited to a small area. There have been far more hurricanes than tornadoes that have caused more than $1 billion in damage.
Do tornadoes cause more damage than water spouts?
it depends on how strong or how big the tornado or water spout is. they both can be very damaging in many ways.
Do tornadoes cause less damage or a hurricane?
The damage from a tornado is usually more severe than that of a hurricane, but because a tornado covers a much smaller area, the total amount of damage from a tornado is usually less.
What is the damage cost from F0 tornado?
It depends on the tornado and where it hits, though typically damage will not exceed more than a few thousand dollars worth. Sometimes a tornado will stay an an open field and cause no damage at all.
What is the difference between tornado and hurricane's?
Some of the damage cause by wind is actually quite similar, however damage from a tornado is often more severe than the wind damage from a tornado. This is because tornadoes can have far stronger winds than hurricanes and because the vertical component of a tornado's winds make them more damaging than purely horizontal winds of the same speed. However, while a tornado can only cause damage through wind and debris carried by it, a hurricane can also cause major flooding. The flooding from hurricanes, from both the storm surge and torrential rain, can cause significant water damage and sometimes washes structures away.
Does tornadoes cause more damage than a tsunami?
Generally not. A tsunami can usually cause more damage because it affects a bigger area. However, a tornado can often cause worse damage in a small area.
What does more damage?
tornados can cause the fastes damage , if i had to list them i would say 1. TORNADO(IT CAN DESTROY ALOT IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES) 2.EARTHQUAKE(IT CAN SHAKE A LARGE AREA BUT NOT ALWAYS CAUSE THAT MUCH OF A DAMAGE AS a tornado could) 3.HURRICANE
Are hurricanes more destructive then tornadoes?
A hurricane can cause more damage than a tornado over because it is much bigger and so affects a larger area. However, the damage of a tornado is more concentrated and more severe on a localized scale.
Would you rather be in a tornado or a hurricane?
A hurricane. While a hurricane can cause more damage and fatalities overall, this is spread out over a larger area. A tornado generally causes more severe damage, but in a smaller area.
In the US is a tornado or lighting strike more dangerous?
Tornadoes kill more people and cause more damage than lighting.
Which is more destructive the winds of a hurricane or a tornado?
Generally tornado winds are more destructive that hurricane winds. Hurricane winds, however, cause damage over a much larger area than a tornado, so the overall amount of damage may be greater. The worst damage in a hurricane is usually the result of flooding.
