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What is at the bottom of a tornado?
The lower part of this tornado is surrounded by a translucent dust cloud, kicked up by the tornado’s strong winds at the surface. The wind of the tornado has a much wider radius than the funnel itself.
Do tornadoes form from the ground up?
New measurements from tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas suggest these storms’ swirling winds first develop near the ground. That’s contrary to the long-accepted theory that tornado winds are born several kilometers up in clouds and only later touch down on Earth’s surface.
What is the strongest part of a tornado?
Well, the strongest winds in a tornado occur when air from outside the tornado can flow closest to the center of the vortex. The conservation of angular momentum, e.g., the rotation in the air, requires that as the air flows toward the center of the tornado (as it spirals in) its rotation must increase.
Is it possible to predict when a tornado will form?
Yes, but only to a limited extent. Although the process by which tornadoes form is not completely understood, scientific research has revealed that tornadoes usually form under certain types of atmospheric conditions. When forecasters see those conditions, they can predict that tornadoes are likely to occur.
Why are there different maps of Tornado Alley?
Various “Tornado Alley” maps look different because tornado occurrence can be measured many ways: by all tornadoes, tornado county-segments, strong and violent tornadoes only, and databases with different time periods. However, the idea of a “tornado alley” can be misleading.
When is the most likely time for a tornado to happen?
But, remember, tornadoes can happen at any time of year. Tornadoes can also happen at any time of day or night, but most tornadoes occur between 4–9 p.m. What is the difference between a Tornado WATCH and a Tornado WARNING?
Related to tornadoes, waterspouts are weak twisters that form over warm water. They sometimes move inland and become tornadoes. Dust devils are small, rapidly rotating columns of air that are made visible by the dust and dirt they pick up. Dust devils are not associated with thunderstorms.