tornado, definition of

A twisting, spinning funnel of low pressure air. The most unpredictable weather event, tornadoes are created during powerful thunderstorms. As a column of warm air rises, air rushes in at ground level and begins to spin. If the storm gathers energy a twisting, spinning funnel develops. Because of the funnel's cloud and rain composition and the dust, soil, and debris it draws up, the funnel appears blackish in color. The most energetic storms result in the funnel touching the ground. In these tornadoes, the roaring winds in the funnel can reach 300 mph, the strongest winds on Earth. Funnels usually travel at 20 to 40 mph, moving toward the northeast. When tornadoes form over lakes or oceans they suck water into the funnel cloud and are called waterspouts.

• Workers sue a tornado-hit candle factory in Kentucky
  Following eight deaths of candle factory workers in a tornado in western Kentucky, the surviving factory workers have filed a lawsuit against their employers...
• May Snaps Long-standing Streak for Strong Tornadoes in US
  Accuweather reports: During the month of May, the United States saw 288 preliminary reports of tornadoes, above the May average of 276 tornadoes. None of these storms were rated as stronger than…
• Demolition company tears down the wrong home after Google Maps error
  After a tornado damaged their duplex, owners Lindsay Diaz and Alan Cutter were looking to rebuild until a demolition company destroyed their Rowlett, Texas home on accident...
• Demolition company tears down wrong home after Google Maps error
  After a tornado damaged their duplex, owners Lindsay Diaz and Alan Cutter were looking to rebuild until a demolition company destroyed their Rowlett, Texas home on accident...
• Twister-shaped Oklahoma Weather Museum sits atop a 1920s warehouse in Tornado Alley
  The structure, located in an area known as Tornado Alley, would visually reference the movement of tornadoes, with lighting designed and placed to evoke a spinning motion...
• Tornado-shaped Oklahoma Weather Museum sits atop a 1920s warehouse in Tornado Alley
  The structure, located in an area known as Tornado Alley, would visually reference the movement of tornadoes, with lighting designed and placed to evoke a spinning motion...
• Introducing The New Dana Nuccitelli Commemorative WUWT Tornado Reference Page
  (Photo credits: NOAA) We are pleased to introduce WUWT’s newest addition, the WUWT Tornado Reference Page. We would like to dedicate this page to Dana Nuccitelli, of Skeptical Science infamy, who single-handedly managed to get Keith Kloor, Roger...
• Introducing The New Dana Nuccitelli Commerative WUWT Tornado Reference Page
  (Photo credits: NOAA) We are pleased to introduce WUWT’s newest addition, the WUWT Tornado Reference Page. We would like to dedicate this page to Dana Nuccitelli, of Skeptical Science infamy, who single-handedly managed to get Keith Kloor, Roger...
• At AGU 2013: Are tornadoes getting stronger? No.
  This AGU session asked that question directly and I covered this previously. Now that the video of the entire session is available, I thought it worth revisiting. Of course, the answer is “no”, even when they try to make a … Continue...
• For discussion – the tornado “hockey stick”
  I’m caught between sessions but wanted to post this. From a presentation at AGU that I couldn’t attend. This from SciAm: James Elsner at Florida State University has a killer curve, and lots of caveats. The curve indicates that tornadoes …...