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A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes can be among the most violent phenomena of all atmospheric storms we experience.
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What is an example of a tornado?
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What does a tornado look like?
Tornadoes that come from a supercell thunderstorm are the most common, and often the most dangerous. [+] An example of wind shear that can eventually create a tornado is when winds at ground level, often slowed down by friction with the earth's surface, come from the southwest at 5 mph.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.
Aug 29, 2019 · Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature. Learn how tornadoes form, how they are rated, and the country where the most intense tornadoes o...
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A tornado is a relatively small-diameter column of violently rotating air developed within a convective cloud that is in contact with the ground, usually in association with thunderstorms during spring and summer.
How long do tornadoes last?
The lifetime of a tornado is directly related to its intensity. The strong, intense tornadoes tend to last longer. Most tornadoes are weak, lasting only about two to three minutes on average. A typical lifetime for strong tornadoes is about eight minutes, while violent ones last about 25 minutes. In exceptional cases, violent events can last more than three hours.
Where do tornadoes occur?
Tornadoes are most common on continents in the midlatitudes (between 20 and 60 degrees north and south), where they are frequently associated with thunderstorms that develop in regions where cold polar air meets warm tropical air.
Which country has the most tornadoes?
Tornadoes have been reported on all continents except Antarctica. They are most common on continents in the mid-latitudes (between 20° and 60° N and S), where they are frequently associated with thunderstorms that develop in regions where cold polar air meets warm tropical air.
Calculating which country has the most tornadoes per year depends on how this measurement is defined. The United Kingdom has the most tornadoes per land size, most of them weak. On average, about 33 tornadoes are reported annually there. In absolute numbers, the United States has the most tornadoes by far (more than 1,000 per year have been reported every year since 1990). It also has the most violent tornadoes (about 10 to 20 per year). Tornadoes of this intensity are very infrequent outside of the United States. Canada reports the second largest number of tornadoes (about 80 to 100 annually). Russia may have many tornadoes, but reports are not available to quantify their occurrence. About 20 tornadoes are reported in Australia each year, though the actual number is likely much higher. Many storms occur in uninhabited areas, and so any tornadoes that they produce are undocumented.
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Records of tornado occurrences are fragmentary for many areas, making estimates of global tornado frequency difficult. Insurance records show that tornadoes have caused significant losses in Europe, India, Japan, South Africa, and Australia. Rare but deadly tornadoes have occurred in many other countries, including Bangladesh, China, and Argentina. There are few tornado reports from either the Arctic or the equatorial tropics.
In the United Kingdom almost all reported tornadoes are associated with vigorous convection occurring in advance of and along a cold frontal boundary. Large temperature differences are associated with early winter cold fronts that move rapidly across the country from the north and west, at times spawning widespread outbreaks of small tornadoes. For example, the passage of a very strong frontal boundary across the United Kingdom on November 23, 1981, produced 105 documented tornadoes. Similar phenomena occur in other European countries such as France and Belgium.
Apr 3, 2024 · Many wedge tornadoes are violent, causing EF4 or EF5 damage, but not all of them are that strong. An example of a wedge tornado is the EF5 that struck Joplin, Missouri, in May 2011.
1 day ago · The National Weather Service (NWS) rates tornadoes using the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) based on estimated wind speeds and associated damage. The EF scale is a set of wind estimates based on damage, not direct measurements of wind speed. NWS assesses damage using a set of damage indicators and degrees of damage.
