Tornado Facts
Tornadoes are also known as twisters. A tornado can be explained as a violent weather event or a spinning funnel shaped cloud. The speed of a tornado ranges between 100-300 mph. It could be a fascinating sight to watch but equally destructive. They are strong, tube-like columns of fast moving air that keeps in contact with the earth’s surface and carries dense water vapours.
Quick Facts: –
- These tornados are formed by super cells. A super cell can be explained as an extremely large thunderstorm.
- Tornados can occur almost anywhere place except Antarctica.
- When a tornado is on rising, the sky changes its colour to a predictable green.
- A funnel cloud becomes a tornado only when it touches the ground.
- A Pulse-Doppler Radar is used to detect tornados. It predicts on the basis of data collected of velocity and reflectivity of the air of the surrounding.
- An average tornado lasts about 10 minutes but they range between 5 minutes to 2 hours.
- Different tornados can have different shape and structures.
- A tornado can spin in any direction, clockwise or counter clockwise.
- If a tornado is formed over a water body, it is known as a waterspout.
- A tornado is measured using the Fujita Scale, also known as F-Scale.
- A specific region in the middle of the United States is called Tornado Alley because this area is vulnerable to tornados.
- Basements or other underground places are best to take shelter during a tornado.
- The deadliest tornado in the US history was the Tri-state tornado in 1925 which occurred in parts of Indiana, Missouri and Illinois killing 695 people.
- A tornado can be invisible if it does not pick up the dust and debris. It will be just a spinning funnel cloud.