Tornadoes

There are two ways to interpret this question but in both cases the duration can vary greatly.

In terms of how long the tornado itself lasts, most are on the ground for one to five minutes. Major tornadoes, however, often persist for twenty minutes or more and may last for well over an hour.

In terms of how long a given spot is exposed to tornadic winds, it depends on how big the tornado is and how fast it is moving. An "average" tornado is about 100 yards wide and travels at 30 miles per hour, which works out to a duration of about 7 seconds for a given location. A half-mile wide tornado moving at the same speed will take a full minute to pass over a spot. Tornadoes may be stationary or travel at more than 70 miles per hour and can range in size from less than ten yards to more than two miles. One tornado was observed to have stayed in the same place for more than 90 minutes.

They can, it's just difficult. The only way to get an exact measurement of the wind speed you actually have to get a probe inside of the tornado. Such a task requires driving out in front of a tornado, dropping the probe, and getting out before the tornado hits. In many cases the probe is not in exactly the right place, and tornado misses, if there is an opportunity to place the probe at all.

It is possible to get an approximate measurement of a tornado's wind speed by positioning a mobile Doppler radar near it. Such units are limited, however, as they can only measure the component of the wind velocity that is directly toward or away from the radar and cannot measure winds at ground level. Doppler radars are also expensive, so relatively few of them exist. On top of these limits, the radar still has to be in the right place at the right time, which is also hard to do.

As a result, the vast majority of tornadoes go without their wind speeds being measured.

The Arctic and the Antarctica because it's to cold for them to form there!

When a tornado or hurricane hits, there are usually more survivors than fatalities. It is a rare storm that kills a few dozen or more people, even though they can affect thousands.

Statistics show that from 1977 through 2006, an average of 57 were killed each year by tornadoes, and an average of 48 were killed each year by hurricanes.

Consider that the worst tornado of the past 20 years killed 36 people, a high number for one storm, but advanced warnings saved an estimated 600 lives.

If a tornado passes near or over a barometer, it will measure a very rapid drop in pressure. How much the pressure drops depends on the strength of the tornado and how close the center of it comes tot he barometer.

Hurricanes and cyclones are similar to tornadoes in that they are all types of severe weather phenomena characterized by strong winds and rotating air currents. These weather events can cause significant damage and pose a risk to human life.

A tornado is considered a destructive force because it has the potential to cause significant damage to property and poses a threat to human life. Tornadoes are characterized by their high winds and violent nature, which can result in devastation to affected areas.

When categorizing a tornado, meteorologists measure its intensity using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. This scale takes into account the damage caused by the tornado to estimate its wind speeds and assign it a category from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest).

The wind speeds in a tornado vary considerably. The Enhanced Fujita Scale provides estimates of the maximum wind speeds produced by individual tornadoes based on the damage they cause.

EF0: 65-85 mph

EF1: 86- 110 mph

EF2: 111-135 mph

EF3: 136-165 mph

EF4: 166-200 mph

EF5: over 200 mph

In extreme cases winds may gust to more than 300 mph.

In a strong typhoon or hurricane the winds can carry enough force to directly damage or destroy the roofs and walls of houses. Whether the windows are open or closed will make no difference in a situation like this. The storm surge of a typhoon carries even more force than the wind.

Tornadoes do not typically collide with each other. If two tornadoes happen to be in close proximity, they may interact in a process known as the Fujiwhara effect, where they start to orbit each other. However, actual physical collisions between tornadoes are extremely rare.

Hurricanes are classified based directly on wind speed from Category 1 to category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Tornadoes are rated based on damage-derived wind estimates, which are used to rate them on the Enhanced Fujita Scale from EF0 to EF5.

The measure of potential to cause damage is typically referred to as hazard. Hazard is the probability of an event occurring and the severity of the consequences that result from that event. It is important to assess and mitigate hazards to minimize the risk of damage.

This question can be interpreted multiple ways.

In terms of how wide a tornado is (diameter), the average tornado is 50 yards (45 meters) wide,. But sizes can range from less than 10 yards (9 meters) to as much as 2.5 miles (4 km).

In terms of path length (how far a tornado travels), the average damage path is 5 miles (8 km) long, but it can vary from only a few yards (meters) to over 200 miles (320 km).

In terms of duration (how long a tornado lasts), the average tornado is on the ground for about 10 minutes. But a tornado can last anywhere from just a few seconds to over 3 hours.

In terms of how high up a tornado extends (how tall it is), they can range anywhere from 1 to 4 miles (1.6 to 6.5 km).

Tornadoes and hurricanes are both examples of severe weather phenomena characterized by strong winds and rotating air masses. Tornadoes typically form from thunderstorms and are characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud descending from the sky. Hurricanes, on the other hand, are large rotating storm systems that form over warm ocean waters and can bring heavy rain, strong winds, and storm surges.

Air movement is crucial to tornado formation and strength. Tornadoes form when warm, moist air rises rapidly and interacts with cooler, drier air, creating a rotating updraft. Strong winds at different altitudes also contribute to the rotation and intensification of a tornado. Without the necessary air movement and circulation patterns, tornadoes would not be able to develop or sustain their destructive power.

A miniature tornado is a small-scale vortex of air that resembles a tornado but has weaker winds and a smaller size. Miniature tornadoes can occur in various environments, such as dust devils in arid regions or waterspouts over bodies of water.

Most tornadoes develop from a larger but less violent circulation in a thunderstorm called a mesocyclone. Under the right conditions a downdraft may wrap around the mesocyclone and cause it to tighten and intensify and can bring that circulation to the ground in the process.

There is no special sense for detecting tornadoes. Aside from keeping and eye on weather advisories, the best way to know a tornado is nearby is to see it. Seeing a tornado is not always possible as the tornado may be shrouded in heavy rain, hidden in the dark of night, or blocked from view by buildings, trees, or hills. Tornadoes also make sound, but it is not a reliable indicator, as simple thunderstorm winds can make a similar roaring sound, and the tornado itself may not be audible until it is dangerously close. The pressure drop in a tornado can cause your ears to pop, but the tornado has to be practically on top of you for this to happen.

Tornadoes can be associated with hail and heavy rain, but their formation does not involve precipitation. Tornadoes form from severe thunderstorms where strong updrafts of warm, moist air create a rotating column of air that extends to the ground.

The vocabulary word that describes a tornado is "whirlwind" or "twister."

Tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

It is actually quite rare for a tornado to pick up an entire building. Such things usually only happen in EF4 and EF5 tornadoes. Such tornadoes have extremely powerful winds that spiral upward. The upward motion can exert more force on a building than gravity does, and thus lift it into their.

Tornadoes typically form within severe thunderstorms when there is a combination of warm, moist air near the surface and cold, dry air aloft. This creates instability in the atmosphere, leading to the development of a rotating column of air, which can then descend to the ground as a tornado.

The scale does not rate tornadoes on wind speed but on damage. The wind speeds for the categories (F0, F1 etc) are estimates for each damage level.

The wind estimates for F5 damage start at 261 mph. However, this estimates is believed to be too high. On the new scale, the wind estimates for EF5 start at 201 mph.