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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(!)
What else can I help you with?
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.
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.
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
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.
Will effects of unequal heating of land and water cause a tornado?
No. The unequal heating will produce breezes, and perhaps clouds and rain, but much more is required to produce a tornado.
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.
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.
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.
Do tornadoes cause less damage or a hurricane?
It depends on the intensity and size of the tornado or hurricane. Generally, hurricanes tend to cause more widespread damage due to their larger size and longer duration. However, intense tornadoes can also cause significant damage in a localized area with extremely high winds.
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
Why does the size of a tornado not determine the damage of a tornado?
The damage severity in a tornado is determined primarily by wind speed. For example, a tornado with peak winds of 100 mph, even if it is very large, is not going to obliterate well built houses, thought it will cause severe roof damage. By contrast, even a relatively small tornado with peak winds of 250 mph can completely destroy just about any structure.
In the US is a tornado or lighting strike more dangerous?
Tornadoes kill more people and cause more damage than lighting.
Could a tornado cause more damage then invader zims ship?
Yes , a tornado would be more powerful . (After all , a single bee took down Zim's ship.)
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.
