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Aug 29, 2019 · Tornadoes are some of the most destructive forces of nature. Learn how tornadoes form, how they are rated, and the country where the most intense tornadoes occur. Subscribe: http://bit.ly ...
- 6 min
- 9M
- National Geographic
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud. [20] For a vortex to be classified as a tornado, it must be in contact with both the ground and the cloud base.
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A tornado is a relatively small-diameter column of violently rotating air developed within a convective cloud that is in contact with the ground, usually in association with thunderstorms during spring and summer.
How long do tornadoes last?
The lifetime of a tornado is directly related to its intensity. The strong, intense tornadoes tend to last longer. Most tornadoes are weak, lasting only about two to three minutes on average. A typical lifetime for strong tornadoes is about eight minutes, while violent ones last about 25 minutes. In exceptional cases, violent events can last more than three hours.
Where do tornadoes occur?
Tornadoes are most common on continents in the midlatitudes (between 20 and 60 degrees north and south), where they are frequently associated with thunderstorms that develop in regions where cold polar air meets warm tropical air.
Which country has the most tornadoes?
Tornadoes have been reported on all continents except Antarctica. They are most common on continents in the mid-latitudes (between 20° and 60° N and S), where they are frequently associated with thunderstorms that develop in regions where cold polar air meets warm tropical air.
Calculating which country has the most tornadoes per year depends on how this measurement is defined. The United Kingdom has the most tornadoes per land size, most of them weak. On average, about 33 tornadoes are reported annually there. In absolute numbers, the United States has the most tornadoes by far (more than 1,000 per year have been reported every year since 1990). It also has the most violent tornadoes (about 10 to 20 per year). Tornadoes of this intensity are very infrequent outside of the United States. Canada reports the second largest number of tornadoes (about 80 to 100 annually). Russia may have many tornadoes, but reports are not available to quantify their occurrence. About 20 tornadoes are reported in Australia each year, though the actual number is likely much higher. Many storms occur in uninhabited areas, and so any tornadoes that they produce are undocumented.
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Records of tornado occurrences are fragmentary for many areas, making estimates of global tornado frequency difficult. Insurance records show that tornadoes have caused significant losses in Europe, India, Japan, South Africa, and Australia. Rare but deadly tornadoes have occurred in many other countries, including Bangladesh, China, and Argentina. There are few tornado reports from either the Arctic or the equatorial tropics.
In the United Kingdom almost all reported tornadoes are associated with vigorous convection occurring in advance of and along a cold frontal boundary. Large temperature differences are associated with early winter cold fronts that move rapidly across the country from the north and west, at times spawning widespread outbreaks of small tornadoes. For example, the passage of a very strong frontal boundary across the United Kingdom on November 23, 1981, produced 105 documented tornadoes. Similar phenomena occur in other European countries such as France and Belgium.
Learn about tornadoes, violently rotating columns of air that can generate the strongest winds on Earth. Find out how they form, where they occur, how they are classified, and how they affect people and the environment.
Aug 28, 2019 · Learn how tornadoes form, what causes them, and how they affect the environment and human lives. Find out the characteristics, types, and intensity of these deadly storms, and how to prepare for them.
Learn what a tornado is, where and when it occurs, how it is rated, and how to identify it. Find out the difference between a watch and a warning, and how to prepare for severe weather.
Jun 13, 2024 · Learn how tornadoes form from large thunderstorms and why they are so unpredictable and destructive. See how satellites help forecasters identify and monitor severe storms and tornadoes.
Tornadoes. As seasons change and atmospheric temperatures shift, large currents of warm air collide with currents of cold air, and the mix of these currents produce large thunderstorms. Given the right conditions, some thunderstorms can produce tornadoes, whirling columns of air that spin up to 500 kilometers (300 miles) per hour.
