A twister or whirlwind is a natural event that is characterized by the formation of a kind of air funnel that is produced by the change in speed and direction of the winds, usually during an electrical storm.
The union of a cold air current with a warm one causes different temperatures in a storm, which causes the cold winds to descend to the ground level to compensate for the different temperatures.
The speed of the winds of this meteorological phenomenon can reach 400 kilometers per hour and, in general, it can have a travel speed of between 16 to 32 kph. The force of tornadoes can blow people up, destroy buildings, and lift cars.
This natural event can take place at any time of the year; however, it tends to occur more frequently during the spring and summer season..
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Tornadoes are formed by the presence of the "cumulonimbus cloud", one of the largest types of clouds that have been recorded in the Earth's atmosphere and whose formation occurs between 18 kilometers and 20 kilometers in height. Despite this, the cloud base can be located as little as two kilometers above the ground..
These clouds are formed thanks to the presence of air masses with different levels of humidity and temperature; their presence tends to indicate the formation of a storm that could include hail. Tornadoes always start from a cumulonimbus cloud and end up on the ground.
A particular characteristic of tornadoes is the low atmospheric pressure inside the natural event, better known as "the eye." This condition causes an increase in the speed of the winds that make it up, as well as their rotation..
Despite this, the atmospheric pressure in cumulonimbus clouds is high, which causes the winds to move towards areas with lower pressure..
The vast majority of tornadoes are funnel-shaped, the width of which can be greater than 100 meters. However, there are other ways tornadoes can manifest.
One of the mildest eddies is waterspouts, which have the appearance of a whirlpool of dust or dirt on the ground. In addition, other meteorological phenomena can take the shape of a wedge with a considerably wide diameter and a low height..
Another form adopted by these natural events is that of a rope, characterized by having a great height and being considerably narrow. This form originates mainly when the phenomenon is in its final phase; its winds weaken and its thickness diminishes.
Tornadoes can present different shades depending on the environment where the meteorological phenomenon is formed: if they develop in a dry place, they are usually practically invisible. The only way to know where they are is by noticing the debris dragging across the ground.
On the other hand, tornadoes that kick up some debris are lighter in color; while if they move through the water they can reach blue tones.
Natural events of this type that pick up a lot of debris tend to be dark in color or take on the pigmentation of the objects it absorbs. In addition, the position of the sun also influences the tones that the tornado can acquire.
The vast majority of the most devastating tornadoes have their origin in supercells, which are storms with winds that remain in a constant rotation. These types of storms are not common: about one in every thousand storms becomes supercells.
Supercells are formed when a stream of cool air descends to compensate for another stream of hot air that rises, causing a storm. Tornadoes originate when the temperature difference between the two air currents is wide; cold air swirls down.
The natural phenomenon becomes visible the moment the cold air current reaches the ground and begins to kick up debris and dust. Also, the force of the tornado increases as it gets closer to the ground. This causes the supercell to travel to its place of origin.
At this point, at which the tornado has already formed, the event is capable of causing damage to what is in its path, depending on the speed of its winds..
The constant movement of the winds of a whirlwind allows both warm and cold air to enter it, which causes it to increase in power in a short time. During this process, which can take more than an hour, the greatest amount of damage occurs.
The tornado picks up steam as it progresses, until a downdraft of cold air is positioned around it, preventing the entry of warm air..
When the cold air stream begins to impede the supply of hot air, the tornado's power source is lost. This causes your vortex to weaken.
At this point, the wind eddy begins to slow down until it becomes a rope-like column of air. Despite weakening at this time, the whirlwinds can also gain strength, causing much more damage in their wake..
The storm that caused the natural event also weakens during this process; this makes it disappear after a short time. However, if a new storm forms again during this process, the cycle could be repeated..
Tornadoes can be caused by two types of storms: those that are supercell and those that are not. One of the tornadoes generated in a supercell storm is the rope storm, which is characterized by being extremely thin and long. Its appearance resembles that of a rope.
It is one of the most common tornadoes. Despite being small, this type of tornado is capable of causing severe damage in its wake. It is characteristic of both the initial and final phases of this type of natural events..
The main characteristic of this type of tornado is that the point that touches the ground is narrower than the one in contact with the storm itself..
The damage it causes is much greater than that which a rope tornado could generate, because having a larger diameter is capable of dragging more objects in its path. Like the string whirlwind, this type of natural event is formed in the wake of a supercell storm..
This type of vortex is characterized by the formation of two or more simultaneous wind eddies that belong to a common tornado. The vortices that form next to the main tornado tend to expand the areas it can reach, which also causes significant damage in its path.
Unlike multivortex tornadoes, satellite-type tornadoes are those that form independent of the main tornado, thus amplifying the impact caused on its surroundings..
This type of natural phenomenon is extremely rare and originates from a supercell storm..
Waterspouts, better known as "waterspouts", are those that originate on a body of water. Within this category there are two types: those that originate as a result of an electrical storm and those that do not..
Waterspouts that arise from a thunderstorm are formed in the same way as a tornado and are capable of sinking boats and churning the seas, depending on their intensity. On the other hand, those that do not arise as a result of an electrical storm pose a much less danger.
Landspouts or "waterspouts" are small tornadoes that are formed without the need for a previous storm to occur, so they are not supercells.
Like waterspouts, land-based waterspouts are weak, short-lived, and have a small vortex. Its characteristics mean that most of the times they fail to cause significant damage.
Many scientists consider that these types of eddies do not belong to the group of tornadoes; however, others rate it as one of the non-supercell eddies.
This type of meteorological phenomenon is characterized by being a whirlpool whose intensity is much lower than that of another whirlwind, so it does not cause significant damage..
The dust swirl, also known as dust devil, It is a stream of wind that picks up sand or dust from the ground. Its origin is not associated with storms, on the contrary, they can form in good weather conditions; especially when there is intense solar radiation during days with cold winds.
Although not considered by many to be a tornado, these types of eddies can cause significant structural damage..
This particular type of eddy can form in the vicinity of fires and could join a cumulonimbus cloud. The whirlpool of fire (or fire devil) is characterized by being a column of fire that rises up to the sky, which results in a high risk due to the spread of flames.
Vapor eddies, also known as steam devils, they are extremely rare. They are identified by being columns of smoke or steam that can form in places such as hot springs or deserts..
To determine the consequences of the devastation after the passage of a tornado, a system called "Fujita Scale" is used, a system to measure the intensity of tornadoes based on the severity of the damage caused in its path..
Those that are considered the weakest are classified as category F0: they register winds between 60 kilometers and 117 kilometers per hour and cause deterioration in the branches of the trees, as well as damage to television antennas and traffic signals.
Characterized by having winds between 117 kilometers per hour and 181 kilometers per hour, category F1 tornadoes can damage tiles, break windows, overturn vehicles, or deteriorate structures a little more resistant than trees or signs on public roads..
After category F1 tornadoes, the natural events that follow on the intensity scale are category F2. With winds that register a speed between 181 kilometers per hour and 250 kilometers per hour, this type of tornado is capable of uprooting trees by the roots and detaching roofs..
Considered one of the most dangerous categories, category F3 tornadoes are capable of sustaining winds with speeds between 250 kilometers per hour and 320 kilometers per hour..
Once at this point, natural events devastate entire forests, as well as dislodge the walls and roofs of the houses..
With sustained winds between 320 kilometers per hour and 420 kilometers per hour, category F4 tornadoes cause significant damage such as loss of building foundations and overturning of vehicles that manage to reach.
Considered the highest intensity tornado that could be registered, the F5 category natural events are those whose winds are capable of reaching a speed that varies between 420 kilometers per hour and 510 kilometers per hour.
Once the tornado reaches the F5 category, it is capable of destroying buildings, lifting trains and taking cars, trees or any other object with a similar weight with it..
One of the countries with the highest incidence of tornadoes in its territory is the United States: its wide terrain and the lack of mountains to stop the course of the natural event are the main causes that make this country one of the most affected. Up to 1,200 tornadoes have been registered annually in the North American territory.
Category F6 events produce such catastrophic damage that it is difficult to describe their power. These types of tornadoes reach a speed between 512 and 612 kilometers per hour, but they are very rare.
In fact, only one event of this magnitude has been recorded in the history of mankind, which occurred in 1999, in Oklahoma, United States..
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