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Tornadoes
A tornado or twister is a violent, rotating column of air which typically has a speed ranging from 177 km/h to over 480 km/h. This devastating windstorm is usually characterized by its funnel-shaped cloud that extends toward the ground.
8,901 Questions
Is it safe to get in a fireplace wood-box during a tornado?
It would likely depend on the type of box. A simple search on Google seems to indicate they vary considerably in design. If it is too small, it would probably not be recommended as you could injure yourself trying to get into it. One that is simply resting on the floor would also be inadvisable, as it could tip over, resulting in injury. One that is set into the wall could work, especially if you could lay something over it to protect the exposed side.
Note that the fireplace itself is not safe, as people have been killed by falling bricks from chimneys.
Is 400 tornadoes in one month abnormal?
It is unusual. The months of April, May, and June are generally the most active. Looking at those 3 months in the years 1990-2011 shows that only 4 of them had 400 or more tornadoes:
May of 2003 with 542 tornadoes
May of 2004 with 509
May of 2008 with 462
April of 2011 with a record 758 tornadoes.
June of 1992 and May of 1999 came close, with 399 and 392 tornadoes respectively.
Are there tornadoes in Saginaw?
Yes, tornadoes can occur in Saginaw, Michigan, as the state is located within a region known as "Tornado Alley." However, tornadoes are relatively rare in Michigan compared to states like Oklahoma and Texas. It is important for residents to stay informed about weather conditions and have a plan in place in case of severe weather.
What is the best action to take if you hear a tornado warning?
Well, for a hurrcane they tell you if there willl be one. So you'd pack up and go OUT OF TOWN!
For a tornado, get to an underground room, or a room with no windows and curl up having your hands around your neck.
What are tornadoes called in Asia?
If there person is speaking English, they will simply be called tornadoes. Otherwise, what they are called depends on the language. In Japanese, for example, they are called tatsumaki, while in Chinese they are lóngjuǎnfēng.
Are there tornadoes in Uruguay?
Tornadoes are rare in Uruguay, but they can occur, typically during the spring and summer months. The country experiences more frequent severe thunderstorms with strong winds, hail, and occasional tornadoes in the southern region.
When was the last tornado in Montana?
As of November 1, 2013 the last tornado in Montana was an EF2 that caused damage on a reservation on July 15 of the same year.
Did the El Reno tornado hit Moore Oklahoma?
No. The El Reno, Oklahoma tornado of May 31, 2013 dissipated between El Reno and Yukon. The thunderstorm that produced the El Reno tornado did produce four other tornadoes in the Oklahoma City area. One of these, an EF0, caused some damage on the north side of Moore.
The EF5 tornado that devastated Moore in 2013 occurred on May 20 and was unrelated to the El Reno tornado.
Are tornadoes a weathering event or geological event?
Tornadoes are a weather event, specifically a type of severe weather phenomenon that can occur during thunderstorms. They are not classified as a geological event because they are driven by atmospheric conditions rather than geological processes.
How many people died in the first tornado recorded?
The first recorded tornado struck near Kilbeggan, Ireland in 1054. Available records do not mention if there were any deaths. Keep in mind that most tornadoes do not kill.
How are cyclones and tornadoes different?
Yes.
A cyclone is virtually any low pressure system that rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere or clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. This would include ordinary low pressure systems which often bring rain and thunderstorms but are not necessarily severe. Tropical storms, tropical depressions, and hurricanes are also considered cyclones.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. The vast majority of tornadoes are cyclonic but a small percentage are anticyclonic, meaning they spin clockwise in the northern hemisphere or counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Why are tornadoes important to life on Earth?
Tornadoes play a role in maintaining balance in the Earth's atmosphere by redistributing heat and moisture. They can also help to regulate temperatures and atmospheric conditions. Additionally, tornadoes can contribute to soil fertility by bringing nutrients from one area to another.
Why do tornadoes change the earth?
Tornadoes can change the Earth's surface by rearranging vegetation, toppling trees, and damaging structures. They can also create a path of destruction by moving soil and debris, altering the landscape as they travel.
What is the main reason people die in tornadoes?
The main reasons people die in tornadoes are traumatic injuries and blunt force trauma caused by flying debris. Additionally, collapsing structures like buildings and homes can also contribute to fatalities during tornado events. It's important for individuals to seek shelter in a sturdy building or underground space to minimize the risk of injury or death during a tornado.
What should you do in the car if a tornado hits?
If the tornado is still distant, drive perpendicular or diagonal to its path (depending on the roads) to get out of the way. If the tornado is getting close, abandon the car and get in a ditch as a last resort or, better yet, a nearby sturdy building.
What tools do meteorologists use to monitor a tornado?
A tornado and its parent circulation may be tracked using Doppler Radar. A new advancement called dual polarization allows meteorologists to see if a tornado is picking up debris.
Meterologists also receive reports from storm spotters and law enforcement who track tornadoes and other hazards visually.
What is the part of the tornado that touches the ground called?
A tornado that doesn't touch the ground isn't a tornado; it is a funnel cloud. However if the funnel is pulling debris off the ground or making some other type of contact with the ground it is a tornado.
Why do tornadoes only occur in certain parts of the world?
Tornadoes can actually ocurring in most places, though they are rare in some. In some places, especially sparsely populated areas or underdeveloped nations, tornadoes occur but are never reported. Even in the U.S. many weak, short-lived tornadoes likely never make into the official record.
To understand why tornadoes are more common in some places, you need an understanding of what causes them.
Tornadoes form from severe thunderstorms, usually power, rotating thunderstyorms called supercells. Supercells and other severe thunderstorms form best wehre either cool air, dry air, or both collide with a very warm, moist air mass. The rotation comes from wind shear, or differeances in wind speed and direction with altitude. The right wind shear often depends on a storng jet stream, a current of strong winds in the upper atmosphere.
The best places appear to be areas for with a temperate or subtropical climate that are located fairly close to a warm body of water to provide warm humid air, a mountain range to provide dry air, and in some cases a supply of cold air. Here are the setups for some of the more tornado-prone regions:
- Tornado Alley, located mostly on the Great Plains of the United States gets its warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, dry air from the Rockies, and cold air from northern Canada.
- A tornado-forming region in Bangladesh and parts of India gets warm, mist air from the Bay of Bengal and dry air from the Himalayas
- A tornado-prone region in South America gets warm, moist air from the Amazon Rainforest and dry air from the Andes.
The temperate latitudes seem to contain the best regions for producing tornadoes. They experience the collisions between tropical and polar air masses to produce strong thunderstorms, and have strong upper-level winds owing to the jets stream.
Higher latitudes are generally colder and drier, and so generally lack the energy needed to produce such storms.
Tropical latitudes have fewer colliding air masses and weaker temperature contrasts, resulting in generally weaker thunderstorms. Wind shear in the tropics is also generally weaker. The tropics may fairly frequently experience weaker tornadoes, but most countries in tropical regions are not developed and so the vast majority of these tornadoes are never recorded.
When was the last tornado in Gulfport Mississippi?
The last tornado to hit Gulfport, Mississippi was an EF1 on August 29, 2012. The tornado was spawned by Hurricane Isaac.
Can downtown Chicago have a tornado?
Yes. Contrary to popular belief, downtown areas of major cities are not protected against tornadoes. The Chicago areas has been hit by tornadoes before, and it is only by chance that none have hit downtown Chicago in recent years.
Is Kentucky part of tornado alley?
Yes, Kentucky is not traditionally considered part of Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley is a term used to describe an area in the central United States that is prone to frequent and severe tornado activity. While Kentucky does experience tornadoes, it is not as prone to them as states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, which are typically included in Tornado Alley.
How fast can the winds of an f-5 tornado reach?
On the original Fujita scale the upper limit for F5 winds was set at 318 mph. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, this upper limit was removed. So far, the highest wind speed recorded in a tornado was 302 mph in the Oklahoma City tornado of May 3, 1999, though it was not a ground-level measurement. Given that actual wind measurements in tornadoes are rare, and that other tornadoes have produced more impressive damage there have very likely been tornadoes stronger than this, though their wind speeds are unknown.
How can tornadoes affect bodies of water?
Tornadoes have a minimal affect on oceans. A tornado on the ocean is called a waterspout. Waterspouts lift some water into the air but not much and can occasionally suck up fish that stray too close to the surface. The main effect of waterspouts is that they can pose a threat to boats in the area.
How does the hydrosphere cause tornadoes?
The hydrosphere does not directly cause tornadoes, but it does play an essential role.
In short, tornadoes are a product of thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are powered by the energy released when water vapor condenses.
How do tornadoes affect the aquifers?
Tornadoes can affect aquifers by altering the water flow and quality in the area. The intense winds and precipitation associated with tornadoes can lead to surface water runoff contaminating aquifers with pollutants. Additionally, tornadoes can disrupt the natural recharge process of aquifers by compacting soil and vegetation, reducing the ability of water to infiltrate the ground.
