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Why are tornadoes powerful?

Updated: 9/19/2023
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13y ago

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Tornadoes are extremely intense because they have very low pressure at their centers and this pressure difference is over a very short distance by weather standards. Pressure differences produce wind and the greater the difference over a given distance the greater the wind speed. In this case winds can exceed 300 mph.

Another way for looking at it is this: tornadoes originate from a rotating updraft typically 2 to 6 miles across called a mesocyclone. Normally, this updraft does not cause damaging winds. A tornado occurs when, by way not fully understood, the bottom of the mesocyclone tightens and intensifies and all the kinetic energy is focused in on a much smaller area.

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Q: Why are tornadoes powerful?
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