Tornadoes Facts
A tornado can be defined as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud with whirling winds that can reach to a speed of 300 mph. These winds are the fastest on the earth. Tornadoes are also known as cyclones or twisters. They generally have a gray color tint. A tornado is a strong turbulent column of fast moving air. It keeps in contact with the earth’s surface. The Fujita Scale is a way of measuring the strength of a tornado. Weather radars are used to detect them and give an advance warning. A typical tornado lasts for about few minutes only.
Fun Facts: –
- If a tornado forms over a water body then it is known as a waterspout.
- Tornado Alley is an area of United States stretching from west Texas to North Dakota. More than 200 tornadoes occur in this area each year.
- If a tornado does not pick dust and debris then it will be invisible.
- North America’s geography is most vulnerable to these violent weather events.
- Most of the tornadoes last only for a few minutes.
- In the Southern hemisphere, tornadoes usually rotate clockwise and in the Northern hemisphere, they rotate counter-clockwise.
- A tornado can come in various shapes like funnel-shaped, rope-like swirls etc.
- The deadliest tornado ever was occurred in Bangladesh in 1989. It killed approximately 1,300 people.
- On an average, almost 60 people are killed by tornadoes every year.
- An extreme tornado can travel more than 100 miles before dissipating.
- The tri-state tornado that occurred in 1925 is the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. It killed 695 people.