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Why do tornadoes in Australia have less notoriety than their US counterparts?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
It is a matter of intensity. Not only are tornadoes not as common in Australia, but they are generally not as strong. The strength of tornadoes is rated on the Fujita scale, which has six categories, ranging from F0 for the weakest tornadoes to F5 for the strongest. Australia rarely gets tornadoes stronger than F2. Such tornadoes can cause fairly significant damage, but don't wipe out entire neighbourhoods and rarely kill. By contrast, the United States usually gets at least several F4 tornadoes every year and gets F5 tornadoes every few years. These are the tornadoes that cause the catastrophic damage that makes national and international news.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
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How often are there tornadoes in Australia?
Many will say that Australia does not have tornadoes, but this is completely wrong. It is true that Australia is more prone to cyclones (the equivalent of hurricanes and typhoons) rather than tornadoes. However, tornado-like conditions may develop with thunderstorms, and while they're not usually officially recognised as "tornadoes" and are far less destructive than their northern hemisphere equivalents, mini-tornadoes DO occur in Australia. Tornado-like conditions have been reported during storms in each of the states, from sub-tropical Queensland down to dry South Australia. In January 2013, a series of tornadoes ripped through southeast Queensland, badly damaging property in the towns of Burnett Heads, Bargara and Bundaberg. Over a period of more than 90 years, since 1918, there have been an estimated 55 deaths from tornadoes in Australia.
Which season of the year are tornadoes less common?
Tornadoes occur least often in the winter.
What percent of thunderstorms produce tornadoes?
Less than 1% of thunderstorms produce tornadoes.
Are most tornadoes F4s and F5s?
No. F4 and F5 tornadoes account for less than 1% of all recorded tornadoes. About 90% of tornadoes are rated F0 or F1.
Are tornadoes a serious threat to New York?
Not really. While tornadoes do occur in New York, strong tornadoes are rare and deaths are even less common.
What percentage of tornadoes are F5 and F4?
A little more than 1% of tornadoes are rated F4 and F5 with F5 tornadoes being less than 0.1%
How long do weak tornadoes typically last?
Weak tornadoes typically last less than 5 minutes.
Are there tornadoes in NSW?
Yes, although (according to the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology) most violent tornadoes are in the US , east of the Rockies. Here's a little information from the Australian Government site: http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/nsw/sevwx/warning_service.shtml and some general tornado information from answers.com - http://www.answers.com/topic/tornado. If you want some pictures of NSW tornadoes - http://australiasevereweather.com/tornadoes_australia.htm
What percentage of tornadoes are rated at F4 or higher?
About 1.1% of tornadoes are rated F4, and less than .1% are rated F5.
How many tornadoes were in 2004?
There were 1,817 tornadoes in the United States in 2004, a record high, the worldwide number is less certain.
What areas of AZ have no tornadoes?
No part of Arizona is completely free of tornadoes, but they appear to be less common in the western part of the state.
Are there hurricanes and tornadoes in the Caribbean and Bahamas?
Yes. Hurricanes are common in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Tornadoes are less common, but can be produced by hurricanes.
