It is due to something called the conservation of angular momentum. When something is spinning and you pull it into a smaller radius, it speeds up. Tornadoes form when a mesocyclone, the rotating updraft of a thunderstorm, is squeezed into a tighter, more intense circulation.
It is impossible to know exactly how fast the winds were as we did not have the tools to measure a tornado's winds back then. But since the tornado was rated F5 (equivalent to EF5 on the new scale) winds were probably well over 200 mph.
When surface winds slow down in a tornado due to ground friction, the tornado may weaken or dissipate altogether. This is because a tornado's strength is dependent on the fast rotation of air at the surface, so when this rotation slows down, the tornado's intensity is reduced.
Doppler radar tracks the movement of the storm and can determine how fast it's going and, to a very limited degree, how fast its winds are. However, in nearly all cases the wind speeds reported in a tornado are estimated based on the severity of the damage that has been done.
The winds in a tornado can vary greatly and be any where between 65 and 300+ MPH. The majority of tornadoes have winds of 110 mph or less while the most damaging have estimated winds over 135 mph.
Winds in a EF5 tornado, the highest category on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, can exceed 200 mph (322 km/h) and cause catastrophic damage. These powerful winds can destroy well-built houses, uproot trees, and turn cars into projectiles.
Winds in a tornado can get up to 300 mph.
A tornado IS wind- very fast winds spinning in a circle.
Most damage in a tornado is caused by the extremely fast winds.
The Enhanced Fujita scale puts the beginning of tornado winds at 65 mph. Doppler radar has detected winds in a tornado of just over 300 mph.
Yes. Anything that moves has kinetic energy. The winds in a tornado move very fast and so have a lot of kinetic energy.
That would most likely be a tornado, but winds usually aren't so fast.
How fast a tornado is moving refers to how fast the tornado itself travels from point A to point B. For example, a tornado moving towards at 30 mph and is a mile away will reach you in 2 minutes. The rotational winds of a tornado refers to how fast the tornado itself is spinning, which is generally faster than its forward speed.
It is impossible to know exactly how fast the winds were as we did not have the tools to measure a tornado's winds back then. But since the tornado was rated F5 (equivalent to EF5 on the new scale) winds were probably well over 200 mph.
When surface winds slow down in a tornado due to ground friction, the tornado may weaken or dissipate altogether. This is because a tornado's strength is dependent on the fast rotation of air at the surface, so when this rotation slows down, the tornado's intensity is reduced.
It varies widely. The weakest have winds of about 65 mph, while the strongest have winds over 300 mph.
In a strong enough tornado the winds are spinning so fast that they cannot reach the center, otherwise they would get flung out. Instead air sinks in the center in a comparatively gentle fashion.
Yes. The winds of a tornado carry an enormous amount of force. That is why they are so destructive. The winds themselves are driven by a pressure gradient.