Tornadoes

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In the United States the F2 category has been replaced by EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with estimated winds of 111-135 mph (179-217 km/h).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.

it takes 30687 earth days to fully orbit the sun once. If you lived on Uranus you would call this 1 year.

No. The fastest speed a tornado has peen known to travel is 73 mph, about 1/10 the speed of sound. The fastest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado was 302 mph, still less than half the speed of sound.

Depends on whether or not you call Pluto a Planet.

If so, yes Pluto. Which takes around 248 earth days to orbit the sun.

If not, it's Neptune. Which takes 165 earth days to orbit the sun.

Damage from a tornado is typically measured using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which ranges from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest). This scale assesses tornado damage based on the estimated wind speeds and resultant destruction.

To start off, the thunderstorm needs to have a rotating low pressure area called a mesocyclone, covering an area 2 to 6 miles wide. This usually occurs in the rear portion of a supercell, but can also develop within a squall line, often on the north side of a bow echo. A downdraft can occur near the mesocyclone and wrap around the bottom portion, causing it to tighten and intensify and stretch toward the ground, producing a tornado.

The estimated wind range for an F4 tornado is 207-260 mph.

On the Enhanced Fujita scale this was change to 166-200 mph for an EF4 tornado.

Tornadoes can be caused by either supercell thunderstorms or by the interaction of cold and warm fronts. Supercell thunderstorms are the most common cause of tornadoes, with their rotating updrafts creating the conditions necessary for tornado formation. When cold and warm fronts clash, the temperature difference and wind dynamics can create the instability needed for tornado development.

The pressure inside a tornado is low compared to its surroundings, though exactly how low pressure can get in a tornado is unknown as few measurements have been taken, but it is generally accepted that the lower the pressure in a tornado, the stronger it is.

Wind in a tornado moves in a circular fashion very rapidly, so the tornado is actually a type of powerful vortex. On rare occasions these winds can exceed 200 or even 300 mph (320 or 480 km/h). In addition winds in a tornado move upward very quickly at speeds similar to those of the rotation.

Air near the tornado spirals inward

The Fujita scale does not directly rate tornadoes based on wind speed but rather on damage which is used to give a wind speed estimate.

The scale, which was developed in 1971 by Tetsuya Fujita, runs from F0 at the weakest to F5 at the strongest. In recent years scientists have come to believe that the original winds estimates for the Fujita scale were inaccurate, especially for the F4 and F5 levels.

Those wind estimates have been changes on the Enhanced Fujita scale which was developed in 2007. Here are the categories for the Fujita (and Enhanced Fujita) scale with wind estimates and typical damage, but a tornado given a rating on one scale will still get the same rating on the other.

F0 40-72mph (EF0 65-85mph) light damage: tree limbs broken, weak rooted trees uprooted, minor roof damage to most buildings.

F1 72-112 mph (EF1 85-110mph) moderate damage: windows broken, house roofs sustain serious damage, trailers severely damaged.

F2 113-157 mph (EF2 111-135mph) significant damage: roofs torn from strong frame houses, trailers completely destroyed, small vehicles lifted.

F3 158-206 mph (EF3 135-165 mph) severe damage: many or most walls collapse in well-built houses, most trees in a forest uprooted.

F4 207-260 mph (EF4 166-200 mph) devastating damage: strong frame homes completely collapse and reduced to rubble, trees debarked.

F5: 261-318 mph (EF5 over 200 mph) incredible damage: strong frame homes completely swept away, foundations wiped clean.

to make a tornado in a bottle you can

1. spin a single bottle full of liquid

or

2. spin 2 two liter bottles atttatched to each other at the mouth with duct tape. No lids

A tornado is destructive due to its strong winds, which can reach speeds over 300 mph. These winds can uproot trees, damage buildings, and hurl debris, causing extensive destruction in its path. The combination of high wind speed and flying debris makes tornadoes highly dangerous and destructive natural disasters.

The forward speed of supercell tornadoes can vary widely, but they typically move at around 30-40 miles per hour. However, some tornadoes within a supercell can move faster, reaching speeds of up to 70 miles per hour or more.

In most cases an F5 tornado will be larger than an F1. However, tornado ratings are a measure of the strength of a tornado, not its size. F5 is the strongest category, and such tornadoes are usually very large, but a few have been fairly small.

Conversely, F1 is the second lowest rating (F0 is the lowest) and such tornadoes are generally small, but some have been huge.

When a tornado funnel reaches the ground, it can cause significant damage by destroying buildings, uprooting trees, and tossing objects into the air. This is the most dangerous phase of a tornado as it can leave a path of devastation in its wake.

A tornado is destructive due to its combination of high winds and debris, which can result in widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. The rotating winds in a tornado can reach speeds of over 300 mph, causing destruction in its path by tearing apart structures and uprooting trees. Additionally, the unpredictability and rapid formation of tornadoes make them particularly dangerous and hard to prepare for.

When a tornado funnel touches the ground, the air near the surface rushes inward at high speeds and begins to rotate rapidly. This rotation causes the funnel cloud to extend downward, allowing the tornado to make contact with the ground and causing destruction in its path.

Objects get sucked up into a tornado due to the low pressure at the center of the vortex, which creates a strong upward suction force. This force can lift and carry debris, dust, and even larger objects into the funnel cloud.