Tornadoes

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A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. It moves in a swirling and spiraling fashion, often causing destruction in its path due to its strong winds and intense pressure gradients. Tornadoes can move erratically, changing direction and speed quickly.

Since tornadoes are spawned by thunderstorms they are often accompanied by lightning.

Additionally, some survivors have reported seeing the inside of a tornado frequently lit up by lightning.

depends on the siren... but about 4-10kW is average

The storm surge sends a wall of water over the low-lying areas. As it subsides, it carries a lot of soil into the sea. In addition, when you have a foot or more of rain it is going to cause a lot of erosion, even without the other hurricane conditions.

QNH, or altimeter setting, is a measure of atmospheric pressure adjusted to sea level. It is used by pilots to set their altimeters accurately for the local pressure conditions, ensuring safe altitude awareness during flight.

A warm, moist air mass and a cold, dry air mass are most likely to form a tornado when they meet. The warm air rises rapidly, creating instability, while the cold air creates a temperature difference that enhances the development of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

The rotation in a tornado is driven by the wind shear, which is the change in wind speed and direction with height. This wind shear creates a horizontal rotation that is then tilted vertically by updrafts in the storm, leading to the spinning motion of the tornado.

Tornadoes can differ in size, strength, duration, and the path they take. The Enhanced Fujita Scale is used to categorize tornadoes based on their intensity, ranging from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest). Factors like wind speed, width of the tornado, and the extent of damage can vary from one tornado to another.

Yes, though it depends on the strength of the metal and what form its in. Weak tornadoes can tear aluminum siding from most buildings. Stronger tornadoes can destroy many structures made of sheets of metal.

The most violent of tornadoes have been known to bend steel girders.

It depends on the strength of the tornado. Weak tornadoes will lift up light objects such as small tree branches. Strong tornadoes have been known to lift up cars, trees, roofs, barns, and sometimes people and animals. Violent tornadoes have been known to lift up and throw heavy construction equipment, well constructed houses, and sometimes larger structures.

To protect against a tornado, designate a safe room in your home like a basement or interior room on the lowest floor. Have an emergency kit ready with essentials like water, non-perishable food, and a flashlight. Stay informed by monitoring weather updates and have a plan in place for communication and evacuation if necessary.

Tornadoes typically form at speeds ranging from 10-20 mph as part of a severe thunderstorm. Once they develop further and intensify, tornadoes can reach speeds exceeding 300 mph in extreme cases.

In simple terms pressure differences create wind. As a general rule, the more the pressure changes over a given distance, the faster the wind.

Tornadoes are small in weather terms, but have extremely low pressure inside. The large pressure drop over a short distance, often just a few hundred feet, then creates extreme winds that, in rare cases, can exceed 300 mph.

The damage in a tornado can vary from minor to severe, including uprooted trees, damaged buildings, overturned vehicles, and debris scattered over a wide area. The intensity of the damage depends on the strength of the tornado and the structures in its path.

A tornado produces strong winds that spiral around a center of low pressure, causing immense damage by lifting and displacing debris in its path. It can also generate lightning and hail within the storm system.

The process of tornado formation starts when wind shear starts the updraft a a thunderstorm rotating, turning it into a supercell.

If the right kind of down draft, called a rear-flank down draft occurs it can wrap around the rotating updraft, which is called a mesocyclone, and turn it into a more intense circulation: a tornado.

Because direct wind measurements are rare and difficult to obtain wind speeds are estimated based on the damage left behind. These estimates are used to rate a tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale which ranges from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest).

The average size of a tornado is about 500 feet wide, but can vary greatly from small funnels to large wedges over a mile wide. Tornadoes can move at speeds ranging from 30 mph to over 70 mph, with an average speed of around 50 mph.

The center of a tornado is often informally called an "eye" such as that in a hurricane.

In technical terms it is called a weak-echo hole.

Pressure differences are the main driving forces for wind. The greater the pressure difference over a given area, the greater the wind speed. Tornadoes produce very low pressure in a very small area.

Tornadoes are given intensity ratings on the Enhanced Fujita Scale ranging from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest). These ratings are assigned based on damage which is used to estimate wind speed.

EF0, 65-85 mph: minor roof damage, downed gutters and awnings, tree limbs broken, weak-rooted trees toppled.

EF1, 86-110 mph: severe roof damage to houses, trailers badly damaged and overturned, windows broken, garages and porches collapse.

EF2, 111-135 mph: roofs mostly or completely removed from houses, trailers completely destroyed.

EF3, 136-165 mph: significant number of walls collapse in houses, most trees in a forest uprooted.

EF4, 166-200 mph: well-built houses completely collapse, trees stripped of bark and only stubs of largest branches remain.

EF5, over 200 mph: well-built houses disintegrate and are swept away, foundations left bare.

A number of informal terms exist for describing the shape of a tornado including rope (a thin funnel often seen in dissipating tornadoes), elephant trunk (classic tornado shape), cone (self explanatory), stovepipe (a vertical column), and wedge (appears wider than the height of the clouds).

No wind measurement was obtained from that tornado. However based on damage analysis the tornado was rated F3. Based on the improved wind estimates of the Enhanced Fujita scale that means the tornado probably had peak winds in the range of 140 to 165 mph.

To protect a house from a tornado, reinforce the roof, doors, and windows with stronger materials like impact-resistant glass, metal doors, and reinforced roofing. Additionally, consider installing storm shutters, a safe room, or underground shelter for added protection. Regularly maintaining trees and other structures around the house to prevent them from becoming projectiles during a tornado is also important.