Tornadoes are fascinating to watch. We all know this natural beauty is marvelous but destructive at the same time. Do you want to see tornadoes with your own eye? If you tried to do so, perhaps, you will not be alive to tell your experience. America is the center spot for this natural disaster. Almost 800 to 1200 tornadoes are caused by thunderstorms each year in the country. We are here to answer all the questions in your mind related to tornadoes. Without wasting any time let’s explore fun facts about tornadoes.  

Mind Numbing Fun Facts About Tornadoes

What is a tornado?

Tornadoes are giant rotating funnels with twirling winds that can reach 300 mph. Actually, they are rotating clouds that extend to the ground due to thunderstorms. They are also called twisters.

How is a tornado caused?

Tornadoes are caused by huge thunderstorms with rotating winds known as supercells. Collision of warm, humid air with cold, dry air results in formation of twisters. The warm dry air pushes the cold dense air upward. Thus, the passing of warm air through cool air causes the clouds to touch down the ground.

How early can a tornado be predicted?

So how do scientists know when a tornado is coming? Meteorologists can predict tornadoes before one to seven hours of its happening with the help of Doppler radar. There are some other factors that participate in formation of twisters and are predicted by meteorologists. The modern systems can aid in determining the favorable conditions for tornadoes such as the flow of water vapour through the earth atmosphere, lightning, severe gale-force winds, and hailstones of the size of grapefruit can identify where the tornadoes are likely to occur.

How do we measure tornadoes?

Tornadoes are fairly difficult to measure because of the immense wind speed and unpredictability. The standard way to measure tornadoes is EF scale. The Fujita Scale developed by Dr. Theodore Fujita measures the power and size of tornadoes. All twisters are assigned a number based on their intensity. The largest twisters are of F-5 number and the smallest twisters are of F-1.  

How long do tornadoes last?

Normally, tornadoes last from several seconds to an hour. Longest-lived tornadoes mostly occurred in the early 1900s. So no one actually knows which one was the longest-lived tornado ever reported. Although most of the tornadoes last for less than 10 minutes.

Where are they most commonly found?

Tornadoes are most commonly found in Tornado Alley in America. This Alley is a flat vast area of land consisting of Western Taxes, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota with mountains on either side. So why tornadoes occur here often. The cold air flowing from the North of Canada when met with the warm moist air from Gulf of the Mexico gave rise to tornadoes.

Tornado Alley is America’s most notorious place known for tornadoes.

Tornadoes Cause Large Destruction

In 1931, a tornado hit Mississippi that ripped an 80-ton train from its railings and threw it 80 feet in the air. Similarly a tornado in Oklahoma ripped a motel off the ground.

Why are they so scary?

The fast rotating funnel of wind extending from the sky to the ground can scare anyone. But the fact is when a tornado starts it has transparent color. It turns darker as it takes things like dust and debris from the ground. The longer it stays on ground the darker it gets.

How loud tornadoes can be?

Tornadoes can be loud depending on the amount of debris it sucks. A tornado with dust is quiet means you will not feel it approaching unless you see it. However, a tornado with large swirling pieces of solid material can be quite loud.

Peak Season for Tornadoes

The peak months for tornadoes in America’s Southern States are between March and May. In America’s North-most States tornadoes occur from late June through August.

Cloud within Funnel   

A cloud can also form within the tornado making it denser.

Direction of travel of Tornadoes

Mostly, twisters can proceed from southwest to northeast. Sometimes, cyclones travel in opposite directions. Tornadoes can follow the back track if hit by wind.

Speed of Tornadoes

Mild tornadoes can reach the speed of 100 miles per hour, while extreme tornadoes can achieve a speed of 300 miles per hour.

Deadliest Tornado in History

In 1989, the deadliest tornado ever recorded in the world hit Bangladesh killing over 1300 people.   

The Tri-State tornado is known as the deadliest tornado in the American history. In 1952, the twister moved through the parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.

Direction of Rotation of a Tornado

It really depends on which hemisphere it occurred. The direction of rotation of a tornado in the Northern hemisphere is clockwise, while in the Southern hemisphere is anti-clockwise.

What is a Waterspout?

Tornadoes that form over water bodies are simply known as waterspouts.

Best place to hide during a tornado

You should stay away from the windows during a tornado. Probably the best option is to hide in the basement of your house or in any underground area.

So weather radars provide an advance warning of tornadoes. Now when you have all the basic knowledge about tornadoes you will not dare to get out of your house during thunderstorms.