How would you describe a tornado?

Answer 1

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the groun,d often made visible by a funnel or cone shaped cloud. Tornadoes are capable of causing very severe damage.

Answer 2

A tornado is a whirlwind of extremely fast moving air. Even the winds of relatively weak tornadoes can damage roofs and topple trees. The strong ones rip buildings apart, sometimes completely obliterating them. In the strongest of tornadoes wind speeds may exceed 300 mph. Tornadoes are often made visible as moisture in the air they suck in condenses to create a funnel shaped cloud, and as the violent winds pick up soil and sometimes larger objects. Although all tornadoes extend from the cloud base of a thunderstorm to the ground, their width varies greatly, ranging from just a few yards wide to, in rare cases, over two miles.

Answer 3

A tornado is a violent, whirling windstorm that crosses land in a narrow path. It can result from wind shear and updrafts inside a thunderstorm. The usual form is a funnel-shaped cloud with destructive spinning winds, that descends from a cloud to the ground over a relatively short period of time.

Powerful tornadoes create the highest wind speeds on the surface of the Earth, which may be in excess of 200 mph (320 kph). The winds and debris will destroy houses and similar structures, and may cause numerous fatalities. Tornadoes are spawned by mesocyclones, and also form as tropical cyclones come ashore.

According to the Glossary of Meteorology (AMS 2000), a tornado is "A violently rotating column of air, pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud." Literally, in order for a vortex to be classified as a Tornado, it must be in contact with the ground and the cloud base. Weather scientists haven't found it so simple in practice, however, to classify and define Tornadoes.

Tornado is sometimes referred to as "twister". A tornado is a rotating column of air in contact with the ground and looks like a funnel cloud.

Answer 4

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground, often made visible by a condensation funnel.

The formation of tornadoes is complicated.

First, a condition called wind shear, in which the speed or direction of the wind changes with altitude. If the shear is strong enough it can essentially tilt a thunderstorm, this separates the updraft and downdraft of the thunderstorm, preventing them from interfering with one another. This allows the storm to become stronger and last longer.

Additionally, if the wind shear is strong enough it can start the air rolling in what is called horizontal vorticity. This horizontal vorticity can then be turned vertical by a thunderstorm's updraft. When this happens, the thunderstorm may start rotating. The rotation is especially strong in an updraft called a mesocyclone. If the storm intensifies rapidly enough, a relatively warm downdraft called a rear-flank downdraft or RFD can wrap around the bottom part of the mesocyclone. This can then tighten and intensify its rotation and bring it down to the ground to produce a tornado.

Answer 5

a localized, violently destructive windstorm occurring over land, esp. in the Middle West, and characterized by a long, funnel-shaped cloud extending toward the ground and made visible by condensation and debris

Answer 6

a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground

Answer 7

Tornadoes damage or destroy buildings and trees that are struck by their powerful winds. People and animals caught in tornadoes can be killed or injured.

Answer 8

Yes