Tornadoes

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.

Signs of an approaching tornado include dark, often greenish skies; large, low-lying clouds; a sudden increase in wind or a change in wind direction; and a loud, continuous roar similar to a freight train. It is important to seek shelter immediately when these signs are observed.

A funnel cloud is a rotating cloud that extends downward from a thunderstorm, while a tornado is a funnel cloud that has touched the ground. In other words, all tornadoes start as funnel clouds, but not all funnel clouds develop into tornadoes.

They are not alive, and thus cannot see you.

Warren Faidley became interested in storms when he was a child. When he was 8 years old and possibly younger he would go after unusual weather in his hometown including dust devils and at least one flash flood.

yes, to a limited degree. By using tools like Doppler radar meteorologists can predict approximately where and when a tornado is likely to occur.

Still, even with a combination of radar and weather spotters we cannot predict the exact path a tornado will take with certainty.

A hurricane and a tornado can't exactly collide as they operate on entirely different scales. A hurricane is its own storm system typically several hundred miles wide while a tornado is a relatively small scale vortex usually no more than a few thousand feet wide and is dependent on a parent thunderstorm. In fact it is fairly common for the storms in the outer bands of a hurricane to produce tornadoes.

No.

Most tornadoes in the northern hemisphere spin counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere.

Most southern hemisphere tornadoes spin clockwise.

There are also anticyclonic tornadoes, which spin in the opposite direction than is normal for their hemispheres. Only about .1% to 1% of tornadoes are anticyclonic.

Tornadoes cannot change the shape of the land.

Yes. A tornado is often visible as a funnel cloud as it develops.

They don't. The US has 40 times the number of tornadoes that England has, and they tend to be much more intense- less than 10% of English tornadoes are strong, 42% of US tornadoes are strong storms.

A black sky can be an indication of an incoming storm, which could potentially bring snow or tornadoes depending on the weather conditions in the area. It is important to pay attention to weather alerts and take necessary precautions.

Tornadoes can impact weather by creating severe thunderstorms and causing rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. They can also cause significant damage to the surrounding area, resulting in disruptions to local weather patterns. Additionally, tornadoes can introduce large amounts of debris into the air, affecting visibility and air quality.

Tornadoes occur in Virginia with an average of 19 reported annually. The peak season for tornadoes in Virginia is from April to September, with May being the most active month. However, tornadoes can form in the state throughout the year.

Actual tornadoes are fairly rare in deserts as they require thunderstorms to form. When they do hit desert areas it is by the same means that they hit others: wind shear starts storms rotating and that rotating can produce a tornado.

But the "tornadoes" commonly seen in deserts are not actually tornadoes but dust devils. These smaller, weaker whirlwinds are usually harmless.

Dust devils form when the sun heats the ground and the air above it becomes hot and is trapped by cooler air above. Eventually, this hot air escapes upwards and starts to spin, forming a dust devil.

In the United States, tornadoes are most likely to form during the spring and early summer months, typically from March to June. This is when warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cooler, drier air from the north, creating the ideal conditions for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to develop.

It varies. The average tornado is 50 yards wind, but some are under 10 yards wide.

Very large tornadoes can be up to a mile wide or more at the ground. The widest tornado ever recorded was 2.6 miles wide.

Tornadoes can occur at any time of day, but they may seem more common during late afternoon and early evening due to favorable atmospheric conditions. For example, daytime heating can lead to instability in the atmosphere, while the evening hours can see the convergence of different air masses, providing the necessary ingredients for tornado formation.

A tornado is a column of violently rotating air in the shape of a funnel cloud. They typically form during severe thunderstorms and can cause significant damage due to their strong winds.

Yes, tornadoes are rare but have been documented in Greece. They typically occur in the southern and eastern regions of the country during severe weather events.

A rotating updraft, also known as a mesocyclone, is a rotating column of air within a thunderstorm. It is often associated with severe weather phenomena such as tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms. Rotating updrafts play a crucial role in the development and intensification of severe weather events.

A tornado is called a funnel because of its shape - it often appears as a rotating column of air that narrows towards the base, resembling a funnel or a cone. This funnel shape is created as the tornado draws in debris and moisture from the ground, giving it its characteristic appearance.

Yes, it is possible for two tornadoes to merge or for a smaller tornado to be absorbed by a larger one. This phenomenon is known as tornado convergence and can occur when multiple thunderstorms produce multiple tornadoes that may interact with each other.

Florida is prone to hurricanes due to its location in the Atlantic hurricane basin. While earthquakes are rare in Florida, tornadoes can occur, especially during severe weather events such as hurricanes or intense thunderstorms.

An EF2 tornado is considered the beginning of a strong or significant tornado. An EF2 tornado has estimated winds of 111-135 mph. These winds can tear roofs from well built houses, snap large trees, toss cars, and completely obliterate mobile homes. While tornadoes of this strength do not usually kill they are still very dangerous.