A tornado forms from a large thunderstorm. Inside thunderclouds, warm, humid air rises, while cool air falls–along with rain or hail. These conditions can cause spinning air currents inside the cloud.
At this point, the answer to how do tornadoes form follows a very specific and predictable pattern:
First, the wind changes direction and wind speed increases. As the change in wind speed increases in altitude, a horizontal spinning starts at the lower atmosphere. Then, the air rises with the thunderstorms updrafts, causing the horizontal rotation to become vertical. Finally, the lower cloud base becomes a wall cloud and a tornado forms.
Most tornadoes are found in the Great Plains of the central United States – an ideal environment for the formation of severe thunderstorms. In this area, known as Tornado Alley, storms are caused when dry cold air moving south from Canada meets warm moist air traveling north from the Gulf of Mexico.
Tornadoes occur in many places around the world, but North America is the continent where they occur most often. The most violent tornadoes are rarely seen anywhere but the USA, Canada and Bangladesh. ‘Tornado Alley’, a region of Central USA, is particularly prone to violent tornado outbreaks and is susceptible to large, long-lived tornadoes.
What is a tornado and how do they form?
Winds inside the waterspout can be faster than 100 kilometres per hour, and they can do great damage to boats Waterspouts are in some ways like the tornadoes that form over land.
Where do tornadoes happen most often?
Where Tornadoes Happen Most tornadoes are found in the Great Plains of the central United States – an ideal environment for the formation of severe thunderstorms. In this area, known as Tornado Alley, storms are caused when dry cold air moving south from Canada meets warm moist air traveling north from the Gulf of Mexico.
This clash causes an unstable atmosphere and creates a spinning effect of rotating air that rises vertically. When a funnel cloud like this touches down upon the ground, it’s categorized as a tornado. East of the Rocky Mountains is where tornadoes most often occur, specifically in a sub-region known as Tornado Alley.
When Tornadoes Happen. They may strike quickly, with little or no warning. Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land. Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer. Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 pm and 9 pm, but can occur at any time.
What are 10 facts about tornadoes?
, tornado activities Imagine that you can see a tornado passing close by. Try to picture the scene, and think about the noises you would hear. Draw an EF5 tornado (the strongest type of tornado). Be sure to include lots of destruction! Imagine that you are a storm chaser. What would you take with you to record the storm? How would you stay safe?
What are the top 10 deadliest tornadoes?
Here are the 10 deadliest U. Tornadoes on record: The 1954 “Beecher Tornado” in Flint, Michigan.