Tornadoes

An F5 tornado typically lasts for over half an hour, and sometimes over an hour.

Tornadoes can form when warm, moist air near the ground meets cooler, drier air aloft. The exact temperature needed for tornado formation varies, but typically, tornadoes form in environments with temperatures around 70-90°F (21-32°C).

There is no set time for a funnel cloud to touch the ground. Some funnel clouds may never reach the ground and dissipate harmlessly, while others can quickly develop into tornadoes and make contact within a matter of minutes. It depends on various factors such as the atmospheric conditions and the strength of the storm.

Vasomotor damage can be caused by factors such as chronic hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and aging. It can also result from inflammatory conditions like vasculitis or autoimmune disorders affecting blood vessels. In addition, certain medications or exposure to toxins can contribute to vasomotor damage.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Most tornadoes form from a mesocyclone, which is the rotating updraft of a supercell thunderstorm. Inside the tornado are very powerful winds, capable of causing damage to vegetation and man-made structures. This damage may range from broken tree limbs and missing shingles (EF0) to the complete obliteration of well-built structures (EF5). Those few tornadoes rated EF5 produce the fastest winds on earth.

Scientists typically issue tornado warnings when they detect conditions that are likely to produce a tornado, such as a tornado forming or imminent tornado development. The lead time for a tornado warning can vary, but it is aimed to give people enough time to seek shelter and stay safe, usually ranging from a few minutes to up to an hour in advance of the tornado's arrival. It is crucial for individuals to have a reliable way to receive these warnings quickly, such as through weather radio or smartphone alerts.

The pressure inside a tornado is very low. Exactly how low is unknown as only a few measurements have been taken. Generally it is belived that the lower the pressure, the stronger the tornado

The lowest pressure recorded to date was in an EF2 tornado at 688 millibars, which was 194 millibars less than the surrounding area.

It usually requires a special kind of thunderstorm called a supercell. These storms have a powerful, rotating updraft called a mesocyclone. It is believed that if a mesocyclone intensifies rapidly it creates a downdraft, called a read-flank downdraft or RFD, near the back of the storm. This downdraft wraps around the bottom portion of the mesocyclone, tightening ans intensifying the rotation to produce a tornado.

RFD winds can be very strong, sometimes exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h).

The primary sources of energy for tornadoes and hurricanes are warm moist air from the ocean and latent heat release from condensation. As warm, moist air rises and condenses, it releases heat energy which fuels the storm's circulation and intensification. This process of moisture evaporation, condensation, and heat release drives the strong winds and dynamics of these intense weather systems.

It depends on how strong the tornado is. A weak tornado (EF0 or EF1) will generally only destroy small trees and weakly built structures such as sheds and fences. Stronger structures will only take minor to moderate damage.

A strong tornado (EF2 or EF3) will destroy most trees, vehicles, and some buildings.

A violent tornado (EF4 or EF5) will destroy just about everything in its path.

The tornado intensity scale is based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale), which measures a tornado's intensity based on the damage it causes to structures and vegetation. The scale ranges from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest) based on the estimated wind speeds required to cause the observed damage.

Tornadoes usually form toward the back of the storm tha produces them, so you are most likley to experience one after the storm has been going on for a while, often after the rain has mostly passed. Strong winds often occur a few minutes before the tornado touches down, associated with the mechanisms that produce the tornado. In some cases people have reported and eerie silence with, no rain or wind shortly, before the tornado strikes. However, this does not always happen. Some tornadoes have struck in the middle of intense wind and rain with no warning.

Tornado strength is typically measured using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which ranges from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest). The rating is based on the tornado's estimated wind speed and resulting damage.

Tornadoes form from rotating thunderstorms, with the updraft within the storm tilting the rotating air upwards. This rotating air then stretches vertically, intensifying the rotation and creating a tornado. Tornadoes acquire their energy from the warm, moist air near the surface that fuels the thunderstorm's updraft.

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.

Being in a classroom during a tornado can be dangerous, but the likelihood of being killed depends on various factors such as the building's construction, the intensity of the tornado, and your proximity to windows or doors. It is generally safer to stay away from windows, seek shelter in an interior room, and follow safety protocols advised by authorities in such situations.

Tornadoes usually strike in warm climates and they are stronger there. In the U.S. they tend to form mostly in the early spring. We call this the "tornado season." The number of funnels observed each year can vary greatly in any given region.

There are about 100,000 thunderstorms that occur in the United States, but only about 1% of those storms produce tornadoes. That doesn't seem like a lot, but if you think about it, that's 1,000 storms that produce tornadoes each year.

Before a tornado, you may experience a drop in temperature, which can make the air feel cool and damp. The weather may also become increasingly humid and still, with a change in wind direction. It is important to be aware of these signs as they can indicate the potential development of a tornado.

Tornado sirens are designed to be loud to alert people who are indoors or outdoors. The noise needs to be easily heard over other sounds and from a distance to ensure it can reach as many people as possible during an emergency.

Tornadoes require severe thunderstorms to form. Such storms usually occur along a boundary between warm, moist air and either cool air, dry air, or a combination of the two.

Tornadoes also require wind shear, which is where wind speed and direction vary with altitude. By a somewhat complicated process this wind shear gives storms the rotation they need to produce tornadoes.

These rotating storms are called supercells.

It varies widely. The average tornado travels about 5 miles.

However, path lengths may range from just a few hundred feet to over 100 or even 200 miles

The longest damage path on record was 219 miles.

A tornado siren is loud in order to be heard from a distance and to alert people even in noisy or windy conditions. The loud volume ensures that it can cut through ambient noise and grab people's attention quickly to take cover and seek shelter.

Some tornadoes simply have very narrow damage paths, producing destructive winds over only a very narrow swath. There are also multivortex tornadoes, in which there are smaller suction vorticies within the main circulation (almost like mini tornadoes within a tornado). These suction vorticies can be much more intense then the rest of the tornado, but are often very small. So one house may encounter EF3 or higher winds, the house next to it may only experience EF0 or EF1 winds.

Quality of construction is also a factor.