Tornadoes

People who study tornadoes are a type of meteorologist.

Signs to look for:

a lowering of the cloud base

rotation in the clouds

a hole in the clouds at the back of a thunderstorm

Swirling dust beneath the lowered clouds

Fire tornadoes are rare but can occur during wildfires in areas with intense heat, wind, and fire behavior. They are often generated by large wildfires under specific weather conditions that create a rotating column of air and flames. These extreme fire events have been reported in regions with a history of wildfires, such as California, Australia, and parts of Europe.

Tornadoes are least likely to occur during the winter and fall seasons. Cooler temperatures and more stable atmospheric conditions during these seasons typically inhibit the development of the strong thunderstorms necessary for tornado formation.

Yes. One of the most interesting examples of this is the F5 tornado that hit Elie, Manitoba, Canada on June 22, 2007. The tornado was relatively small but for a short time became extremely intense. The tornado hit a very will built brick house, tearing it from its foundation and throwing it several hundred feet as it disintegrated. To other houses nearby were leveled. However, another house right next to the one that was thrown only lost a small part of its roof.

Some large, violent tornadoes have multiple smaller vortices inside the main funnel which pack much stronger winds. In some cases tornadoes like this will produce a continuous path of moderate damage with crescent shaped swaths of extreme damage within it.

Yes, Illinois does have a lot of tornadoes as it s very close to Tornado Alley.

It is extremely rare for four tornadoes to occur simultaneously in the same area. Tornadoes typically form from separate thunderstorms and are usually isolated events. Multiple tornadoes can occur in quick succession or in the same general area, but having four at the same time is highly unlikely.

Warning times can vary for tornadoes, but on average people get about 13 minutes of warning time. This can be dependent on various factors such as the speed of the tornado, the efficiency of the warning system, and the location of the tornado relative to populated areas. It's important to have a plan in place and be prepared to take immediate action when a tornado warning is issued.

"Moderate damage" in terms of tornadoes is damage typical of an F1 (now EF1).

Such damage includes roofs severely stripped of material, mobiles homes badly damaged, broken windows and some trees uprooted or snapped.

There are two reasons. First is that the United States has an ideal climate setup in the middle part of the country. In the spring storm systems cause warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to collide with cool air from Canada and dry air from the Rockies, resulting in the formation of strong thunderstorms. About a mile off the ground a layer of stable air holds thunderstorm activity back, allowing instability to build underneath it. As a result when the storm break through the cap the instability will be enormous, leading to explosively powerful thunderstorms. At the same time wind speed and direction varies with altitude, which sets these storms rotating and also strengthens the updraft. This rotation combined with strong thunderstorm updrafts can then produce tornadoes.

The second reason is that the United States is very good at keeping record of the tornadoes it gets. Many other countries that have a high incidence of tornadoes do not keep detailed records, and many tornadoes are never recorded at all.

The terminology here is a bit confused. In weather there are 4 basic types of large-scale air mass: Continental polar air masses come off the land in cold regions and are cool and dry. Maritime polar masses come off the ocean and are cool and somewhat moist. Continental tropical air masses come of the land from warm regions and are warm and dry. Finally maritime tropical masses come off of warm oceans and are warm and moist.

When a continental polar air mass pushes into a maritime tropical air mass it forms a cold front. Since cold air is denser than warm air, the tropical air mass is forced upwards. This can trigger thunderstorms. Under the right conditions these storms can produce tornadoes.

They aren't. Tornadoes and dust devils are two different things. A tornado is a violent vortex of wind that develops during a severe thunderstorm. A dust devil is a much weaker whirlwind that often forms under clear skies.

You can't run that fast. A tornado's speed can vary, but on average - and most of them stick pretty close to the average - they move at 35 mile an hour. The fastest sprinters barely make 25 MPH.

The word tornado coms from the Spanish word "tornada" meaning thunderstorm and "tornar," meaning "to turn."

Tornadoes are a type of severe weather phenomenon that occurs due to specific atmospheric conditions, such as warm, moist air colliding with cooler, drier air. They are a natural occurrence and are not directly caused by human activities. However, climate change may influence tornado formation by altering weather patterns, but it does not directly cause tornadoes.

The 1979 Wichita Falls, TX tornado formed along a stationary front near the Red River and quickly intensified into a powerful F4 tornado. The tornado traveled through residential areas in Wichita Falls, causing significant damage and loss of life.

There have been estimated at least 109 F5 tornadoes in the U.S. Since the introduction of the Enhanced Fujita scale there have been 9 EF5 tornadoes, which is essentially equivalent to an F5.

Note that this number should be taken with a grain of salt as it can be difficult to distinguish between F4 and F5 damage, especially in records that must be evaluated based on historical accounts.

Hurricanes cover larger areas than tornadoes. Hurricanes are large, rotating storms that can span hundreds of miles, affecting wide regions with strong winds and heavy rain. Tornadoes, on the other hand, are usually much smaller in size with a narrow path of destruction, affecting a more localized area.

Tornadoes can occur along a warm front, but you are more likely to find them along a cold front or dry line. Tornadoes can also occur in the absence of any sort of front. Warm fronts often produce precipitation but don't usually result in severe weather.

No. The Tuscaloosa tornado of 2011 was a high-end EF4. According to the survey results published from the National Weather Service the winds in that tornado fell about 10 mph short of an EF5.

Interestingly, one article suggests that had the Tuscaloosa tornado occurred before the Enhanced Fujita scale was implemented in 2007 it would likely have been rated F5. However, the newer scale has more precise standards for ratings, and, by the slimmest of margins this tornado did not meet the EF5 standard. Looking at what this storm did, it was about as bad as a tornado can get without being an EF5.

4 other tornadoes that occurred on the same day were rated EF5.

Yes, tornadoes can occur in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The area is not immune to tornado activity, although occurrences may be less frequent compared to regions in the central United States known as "Tornado Alley." Residents should remain prepared and informed about severe weather alerts in the area.

It varies from year to year, but on average Kentucky gets 22 tornadoes annually.

Eventually, yes. New York, both the state and the city, get tornadoes. However, there is no way of known when these tornado will happen.