Tornadoes

A thunderstorm does not become either. Thunderstorms produce tornadoes. Clusters of thunderstorms can become hurricanes.

In short, if a strong thunderstorm encounters wind shear in the right configuration, meaning wind changes speed and direction with altitude, it can star to rotate. The rotation is focused in an area a few miles wide called a mesocyclone. Sometimes a downdraft at the back of the storm will then wrap around the mesocyclone, causing it to tighten and intensify to forma tornado.

A hurricane most often starts out as an area of low pressure and disorganized showers and storms called a tropical disturbance. If the disturbance moves out over warm ocean water, where the is plentiful warm, moist air then more storms will form within it. The updrafts of the storms cause the pressure in the disturbance to drop, which increases the wind speed and draws in more air to feed the storms. As the wind speed increases the Coriolis effect, a consequence of Earth's rotation, will cause the system to start rotating. When the system develops a definite rotation then it is classified as a tropical depression. When sustained winds reach 39 miles per hour it is a tropical storm. When winds reach 74 mph the storm is classified as a hurricane.

Yes. Or at least there have probably been tornadoes for as long has Earth has had approximately the same atmosphere that it has now.

As of April 29, 2016 the most recent confirmed tornadoes were on April 27 in a small outbreak across the Midwest and Ohio valley. More tornadoes may develop today with the greatest risk in Oklahoma and Texas. Thunderstorms with the potential to produce tornadoes are occurring as this answer is being written.

Tornadoes themselves are not directly caused by climate change, but there is evidence that a warming climate could lead to changes in atmospheric conditions that may affect tornado frequency or intensity. However, the relationship between tornadoes and climate change is complex, and more research is needed to fully understand the connection.

Hail most often occurs ahead of the tornado but it also frequently found in the hook of the storm, which wraps around behind and to the left of the tornado (with respect to its movement) in the northern hemisphere and to the right of it in the southern hemisphere.

An underground parking garage is generally a safer place to be during a tornado than being in an open area, as it provides more protection from strong winds and flying debris. However, there may still be risks such as flooding or structural damage, so it is important to stay informed and follow any safety protocols in place.

Tornadoes can cause significant damage to buildings by strong winds and flying debris, resulting in roof damage, broken windows, and structural collapse. Additionally, tornadoes can uproot trees and utility poles, leading to power outages and road blockages.

The safest thing to do when encountering a tornado while in a car is to find a sturdy building to seek shelter in or to get out of the car and lie flat in a low-lying area, away from trees and vehicles. Never try to outrun a tornado in your car.

Movement of the Earth's plates does not directly cause tornadoes. Tornadoes are usually formed by the interaction of warm, moist air and cold, dry air in the atmosphere, along with specific weather conditions like thunderstorms. Plate tectonics, which involves the movement of the Earth's crustal plates, occurs within the Earth's lithosphere and is not directly related to tornado formation.

Thunderstorms:

Avoid going outside if possible. Do not enter any bodies of water. Do not take shelter under a tree. Avoid taking baths and showers or using appliances that are plugged in. Stay away from windows of strong winds or hail are possible.

Hurricanes:

Evacuate ahead of the storm if you are told to do so. Board up windows in advance if possible. If you are riding out the storm stock up on water, batteries, and food that does not need to be cooked or refrigerated. Remain inside at all times and stay away from windows. Move to an upper floor if any flooding occurs.

Tornadoes:

Take cover in an underground shelter if possible. If it is not possible, seek shelter in an interior room or closet on the lowest floor. Stay away from windows. If you are in a trailer home leave it for sturdier shelter. Do not attempt to outrun the storm.

A hurricane would likely have the greatest range of pressure. Hurricanes typically have very low central pressures, which can drop significantly as they intensify. Middle latitude cyclones and tornadoes can also exhibit pressure variations, but hurricanes are known for the largest pressure differentials across the storm system.

It depends on the strength of the tornado. Most tornadoes are rated F0 and F1. These tornadoes can damage roofs, break windows, and topple some trees. Trailers may be overturned or badly damaged.

Most of the serious damage is cause by the strongest 4% of tornadoes, those rated F3, F4, and F5.

An F3 tornado can largely destroy most houses, sometimes leaving only a few walls standing. Most trees will be uprooted and trailers don't stand a chance.

An F4 tornado will level most houses to the ground and can strip the bark from a tree.

Virtually nothing can withstand the full force of an F5 tornado. Houses are swept clean off their foundations.

F4 and F5 tornadoes have been known to wipe out larges sections of towns.

Yes, a tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. When it touches the ground, it can cause significant damage due to its strong winds and destructive potential. Tornadoes are typically accompanied by severe weather conditions such as thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

A tornado that levels well-constructed houses, creates large missiles, and throws cars around would likely be rated as a high-end EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. EF5 tornadoes have wind speeds exceeding 200 mph and cause catastrophic damage.

Tornadoes often bring down trees, which can increase soil erosion. On rare occasions tornadoes can directly scour away the topsoil as well. Overall, tornadoes are not significant contributors to erosion and deposition.

The strongest winds of a tornado are thought to occur near the ground, typically within the lowest 100 feet or so. Wind speeds in tornadoes can exceed 200 mph, causing significant damage close to the surface.

The extreme deadliness of the Tri-State tornado was due to a combination of factors. First, it was an extremely violent tornado, maintaining F4 or F5 intensity along most of its path and had a wide swath of destruction, at times a mile wide. Second, it had a very long path, more than 200 miles long, so it covered a lot of ground, striking one town after another and so on. Third, it moved very fast, averaging more than 60 miles per hour, leaving little time for people to prepare. Fourth, the tornado's wide funnel accompanied by the low cloud base made it difficult to distinguish as a tornado, so many people did not realize the danger until it was too late. Finally, back in 1925 there was no advance warning system for tornadoes.

Tornadoes form when warm, moist air collides with cold, dry air, creating instability in the atmosphere. The tundra has a cold, stable climate with low humidity and limited temperature contrasts, making it unlikely for the conditions necessary for tornado formation to occur.

Precipitation is not directly associated with the type of tornadoes, but it can influence their formation and intensity. Tornadoes can occur in a variety of precipitation conditions, ranging from clear skies to heavy rain. However, strong thunderstorms with abundant moisture and instability are more likely to produce tornadoes.

Estimated winds for an F2 tornado on the original Fujita scale are 113 to 157 mph. It was later found that this estimate was not quite right for the damage inflicted by an F2 tornado and so was refined to a range of 111 to 135 mph for an EF2 tornado.

over 200 miles per hour for an EF5.

Original estimates for an F5 (now known to have been too high) were 261-318 mph.

On the Original Fujita scale F5 minimum winds were estimated at 261 mph.

To star off we must consider what the conditions for hurricanes and tornadoes have in common. To start, they both need conditions that strongly favor the formation of thunderstorms. Such conditions include plentiful warm, moist air to fuel the storms, a fairly rapid temperature drop with increasing altitude to destabilize the atmosphere, and a bit of low pressure to nudge the air upward and trigger the process. From here the conditions needed are different.

Hurricanes require so much moisture that they can only form over warm ocean water. They generally start from a weak, disorganized area of low pressure called a tropical disturbance which becomes stronger and more organized as it feeds on warm, moist air. Being tropical in nature, hurricanes are not associated with weather fronts. Partly because of the small temperature contrasts, the individual storm cells that make up a hurricane are usually fairly weak, but they combine to form a system that is greater than the sum of its parts. To sustain themselves, hurricanes need a continuous supply or warm, moist air. Dry air can cause a hurricane to weaken and dissipate while cold air will cause one to change into another kind of storm called and extratropical cyclone. Finally, to maintain their organized structure there needs to be little or no wind shear. In other words, the speed and direction of wind at different altitudes must be fairly uniform. Strong wind shear can essentially tear a hurricane apart.

In contrast to the relatively weak thunderstorms that make up hurricanes, tornadoes usually require very strong thunderstorms in order to form. As a result, while hurricanes form in the tropics, tornadoes usually form in temperate latitudes where there are larger contrasts in temperature and humidity. The storms that produce tornadoes most often form along a cold front or dry line where, respectively, cool or air or dry air collides with warm, moist air. Such collisions are not absolutely necessary, but they do create the most favorable conditions for tornadoes. The next ingredient needed is strong wind shear, which enhances the strength of individual storm cells and gives them the small-scale rotation they need to produce tornadoes.

Worldwide data is not available. In the U.S. tornadoes injure about 1,100 people per year on average based on official statistics. The actual number is probably higher since injuries from some tornadoes do not make it into official reports and minor injuries may be under reported in mass casualty events.

No, tornadoes typically develop in areas of low pressure, such as in the central U.S. during spring and summer. In these conditions, warm, moist air at the surface rises rapidly, creating the necessary conditions for tornado formation. High pressure systems are more associated with stable weather conditions and generally do not provide the dynamic atmosphere needed for tornadoes.