Tornadoes

Roofs can be lifted off buildings in tornadoes due to the intense upward and rotational forces created by the tornado winds. These winds can create areas of low pressure on the roof, causing it to be literally sucked off the building, especially if the roof is not securely attached. Additionally, the wind can get underneath the roof and lift it off due to the lack of proper anchoring or fastening.

Nevada experiences very few tornadoes compared to other states. Tornadoes are relatively rare in Nevada due to its dry climate and landscape, which are not typically conducive to tornado formation.

Tornadoes are a problem because they can cause significant property damage. Even weak tornadoes can damage roofs, topple trees into buildings and vehicles, and cause power outages. Very strong tornadoes can completely destroy homes, businesses, and even entire neighborhoods, often resulting in multiple deaths.

No, tornadoes are associated with cyclones and not anti-cyclones. Tornadoes typically form in association with severe thunderstorms within a cyclonic circulation pattern. Anti-cyclones are areas of high pressure with descending air, which are typically not conducive for tornado formation.

Tornadoes are more commonly associated with cold fronts and supercell thunderstorms rather than warm fronts. Warm fronts typically produce more widespread and less severe weather, such as steady rain and gentle showers. However, tornadoes can still occur in the vicinity of warm fronts if the atmospheric conditions are favorable.

Truly doubt it. (This applies to almost all days.)

Tornadoes are typically formed in severe thunderstorms when warm, moist air meets cool, dry air, creating instability in the atmosphere. The rotation is caused by wind shear, where winds at different altitudes blow in different directions or speeds. When these conditions combine, it can lead to the formation of a tornado.

It can be either. Tornadoes can move faster than 40 mph, but usually don't.

Tornadoes are important to know about because they can cause significant damage and put lives at risk. Being informed about tornado warnings and knowing how to stay safe during a tornado can help save lives and minimize property damage. Understanding tornadoes can also help communities prepare and take necessary precautions to prevent or reduce the impact of these natural disasters.

They don't. Tornadoes do occur in New York, but they are relatively rare. The regions cool climate and less-than ideal setup of wind shear and instability means that tornadoes, especially strong ones, don't occur often.

Tornadoes can have local effects on weather by causing rapid changes in temperature, pressure, and wind patterns. They can also influence the formation of severe thunderstorms and intense rainfall in the surrounding areas. Additionally, tornadoes can disrupt atmospheric stability and lead to further development of storms.

Yes, tornadoes can happen in Connecticut, but they are relatively rare compared to states in the central United States. The state typically experiences a few tornadoes each year, with the majority being of the weaker EF0 or EF1 category.

Multiple tornadoes can form at the same time during a severe weather event, especially in outbreaks or supercell thunderstorms. The exact number of tornadoes that can form simultaneously can vary, but it is not uncommon for several tornadoes to be observed in the same area or region at once.

The first recorded tornado in the United States struck on May 15, 1752, in what is now the state of Virginia. Tornadoes have been known to occur long before then, but that is the earliest officially documented tornado in the United States.

A tornado is typically associated with severe weather conditions, including strong winds, heavy rain or hail, and thunderstorms. Tornadoes can also produce intense rotation and funnel clouds, leading to widespread destruction and devastation in their path.

You're joking right? In case not, it's called an erection as well as many colloquialisms.

Yes, India does experience tornadoes, although they are relatively rare compared to countries like the United States. Tornadoes in India are most common in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh during the late spring and early autumn.

Yes. I've seen two in the last three years or so - the second one just a few minutes ago. I have seen many "dust devils" over the past 20 years, but I did not think Kenya had actual tornados until I saw one a few years ago in the great Rift Valley. Today (May 21, 2012), I saw a much bigger stronger one. It did not appear to be hitting homes. I hope not anyway.

It varies widely depending in part on strength. On researcher calculated that the median path length for U.S. tornadoes from 1950 to 1982 was just under 1 mile, which works out to a duration of just under 2 minutes (assuming an average speed of 30 mph).
However, the median if calculated today would probably be better documented as we have improved in our ability to find the weaker, shorter lived tornadoes.
Very destructive tornadoes. Median duration varies with intensity, ranging from 45 seconds for F0 tornadoes to 47 minutes for F5 tornadoes. Furthermore, these figures are only medians, and values can vary significantly either way. Brief touch downs have been observed to have lasted as little as 10 seconds while the longest duration on record was 3 hours and 29 minutes. For strong tornadoes durations of 10 to 20 minutes are not uncommon, with violent tornadoes being in the range of 20 minutes to an hour.

Yes, a tornado is defined as a rotating column of air reaching the ground from a cumulonimbus cloud. If it does not touch the ground, it is technically considered a funnel cloud. Tornadoes that do not touch down are typically not as damaging as those that do.

Tornadoes are made from a combination of warm, moist air near the ground and cool, dry air at higher altitudes. When these air masses collide, it can create the necessary conditions for a tornado to form, resulting in a rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.

Many tornadoes in Florida start as waterspouts, which develop when the ocean water is warmer than the air above it, triggering updrafts that, under the right conditions, can start rotating.

Tornadoes can also form by typical tornadogenesis, which is outlined in the related question.

A sandstorm with rotating winds is often called a "dust devil." Dust devils are smaller in scale compared to tornadoes and are typically formed in arid regions with loose sediments like sand or dust.

Yes, just tonight, in fact (1/21/10):

"SR 101 between Scottsdale and Hayden Road. A Tornado is reported having touched down in Desert Ridge area near SR 101 and Hayden Road according to National Weather Service. Evacuation of Barrett Jackson event reported by Scottsdale PD."

Tornadoes can form in many different towns and locations around the world, but they are most common in a region known as Tornado Alley in the central United States, which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. However, tornadoes can occur in many other regions as well, including Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia.