Tornadoes

It depends on the tornado.

For most tornadoes the fastest winds occur at the edge of the core.

For other tornadoes, especially large and/or strong ones the strongest winds occur in the suction vorticies, which are like mini tornadoes moving within the main circulation of a tornado. Tornadoes with this feature are called multiple vortex or multivortex tornadoes.

It varies widely. The average tornado lasts about 10 minutes.

However, the duration of a tornado may be anywhere from just a few seconds to over an hour.

The longest lasting tornado on record was on the ground for 3.5 hours.

A funnel cloud forms when a rotating column of air descends from a thunderstorm cloud but doesn't touch the ground. When the funnel cloud touches the ground, it becomes a tornado. The rotating air within the tornado causes it to appear as a funnel-shaped cloud.

Tornadoes are extremely intense because they have very low pressure at their centers and this pressure difference is over a very short distance by weather standards. Pressure differences produce wind and the greater the difference over a given distance the greater the wind speed. In this case winds can exceed 300 mph.

Another way for looking at it is this: tornadoes originate from a rotating updraft typically 2 to 6 miles across called a mesocyclone. Normally, this updraft does not cause damaging winds. A tornado occurs when, by way not fully understood, the bottom of the mesocyclone tightens and intensifies and all the kinetic energy is focused in on a much smaller area.

Winds in a tornado are extremely high because the pressure at the center of the tornado is much less than its surroundings, and this pressure drop occurs over a very small distance. Differences in pressure are what cause most winds.

The greater the pressure difference over a given area, the greater the wind speed.

Objects like trees, vehicles, and even animals can be picked up in a tornado due to the strong winds and swirling motion of the storm. In addition to physical objects, debris like rocks, branches, and building materials can also be lifted and carried by tornadoes.

The angular winds speed in a tornado varies as tornadoes come in both different sizes and their tangential wind speed varies.

First for tangential speed: minimum tornadic wind speed are estimated at 65 mph (105 km/h or 29 m/s) and the upper bound is believed to somewhere near 300 mph (483 km/h or 134 m/s). The average tornado likely has winds of about 80 mph (126 km/h or 36 m/s), but with the most damage coming from tornadoes with winds over 135 mph (217 km/h or 60 m/s). These are estimates primarily derived from tornado damage.

For size: the average tornado has a diameter of 50 yards (46 meters) wide, but sizes range from less than 10 yards (9 meters) to over a mile (1.6 kilometers). The largest tornado on record was 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) wide. Overall, stronger tornadoes tend to be larger, though this is not always the case. Furthermore, the strongest winds in many tornadoes, especially large, strong ones are not part of the main circulation but as part of smaller suction vorticies within the tornado, where winds may be up to 100 mph (45 m/s) faster.

Aside from these suction vorticies, the fastest winds are often found around the edges of an eyelike center of calmer air that is often 1/4 to 1/2 the width of the funnel.

However, even with this knowledge the workings inside a tornado are poorly understood.

A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a storm cloud to the ground.

So the strong winds of a tornado rotate around a relatively small diameter, usually less than a quarter of a mile wide and rarely over a mile.

Ordinary strong winds usually travel in a straight line and typically affect a much larger area.

Bernoulli's principle explains that as wind speed increases, air pressure decreases. In a tornado, high wind speeds can cause a drop in air pressure, increasing the force exerted on a house. This can lead to structural damage as the force of the wind pushes against the walls and roof of the house.

It's caused by wind going in circular motion.

No, tornadoes typically form in association with low pressure systems instead of high pressure. Tornadoes are more likely to occur in regions where warm, moist air at the surface meets cooler, drier air aloft, leading to instability in the atmosphere that can generate rotating updrafts and subsequently tornadoes.

An F5 tornado forms in much the same way a any other tornado is.

For general tornado formation 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.

An F5 tornado is simply the most extreme case of this where a supercell has an enormous amount of energy, is well organized, and wind shear is very strong.

Wind speeds for a tornado can range from 65 mph to over 200 mph. The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale is used to classify tornadoes based on wind speed and damage caused. The scale ranges from EF0 to EF5, with EF5 tornadoes having wind speeds over 200 mph.

Unequal heating can create temperature differences that contribute to the instability and formation of thunderstorms, which can then develop into tornadoes. The contrast in temperature between warm air at the surface and cold air aloft can create strong updrafts and wind shear that are conducive to tornado formation. Unequal heating can also influence the direction and speed of wind patterns, further enhancing the conditions for tornado development.

It varies widely.

The average tornado is on the ground for about 8 kilometers.

But some tornadoes are only on the ground for a few meters.

At the other end, other tornadoes have had damage paths hundreds of kilometers long.

The longest tornado damage path on record is 352 kilometers.

Most tornadoes in the southern hemisphere spin clockwise.

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.

Tornadoes are rated on the Fujita scale, which goes from F0 at the weakest to F5 at the strongest (more recently on the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF0 to EF5) based on the severity of the damage they cause.

An F2 tornado (the F standing for Fujita) is a relatively strong tornado with estimated winds of 113-157 mph (182-253 km/h). It is the third category on the Fujita scale, which rates tornadoes from F0 to F5 based on the severity of the damage they cause. A typical F2 tornado will tear the roofs from most houses, completely demolish mobile homes, and lift small cars off the ground.

An F2 on the Fujita scale is equivalent to a T4 or T5 on the TORRO scale.

In the United States the F2 category has been replaced by EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with estimated winds of 111-135 mph (179-217 km/h). Scientists believe this wind estimated to be more accurate.

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the cloud base of a thunderstorm and the ground.

A funnel cloud is a potential tornado that extends from the base of a thunderstorm, but the circulation does not reach the ground.

A waterspout is a tornado or a tornado like vortex that occurs on a body of water. Most waterspouts form by a different mechanism for typical tornadoes and are usually weaker.

A dirt devil, more commonly called a dust devil, is a small vortex that forms at ground level on hot, sunny days. Unlike a tornado, funnel cloud, or most waterspouts, a dust devil is an independent whirlwind that is not associated with a thunderstorm and does not connect to any cloud base. Dust devils are much weaker than tornadoes.

The rotation is already relatively strong to begin with and the mesocyclone intensifies with the supercell. As the mesocyclone intensifies and air movement called a rear-flank downdraft or RFD wraps around the lower portion of the mesocyclone, forcing the rotation into a smaller radius and bringing it down to ground level. This tightening of the circulation also causes it to intensify greatly and a tornado is produced.

they go both ways.

More than 99% of tornadoes spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. For less than 1% of tornadoes the opposite is true. These are called anticyclonic tornadoes.

Photooxidative damage occurs when light exposure triggers the formation of reactive oxygen species in cells, leading to damage of cellular components such as proteins, lipids, and DNA. This can result in cell dysfunction and contribute to aging, skin damage, and diseases such as cancer. Sun exposure is a common source of photooxidative damage.