Fearsome Twisters

A twister or tornado is a violent, rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of acumulus cloud. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (177 km/h), are approximately 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme can attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h), stretch more than two miles (3 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km). Various types of tornadoes include the landspout, multiple vortex tornado, and waterspout. Waterspouts have similar characteristics to tornadoes, characterized by a spiraling funnel-shaped wind current that forms over a body of water, connecting to a large cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. Waterspouts are generally classified as non-supercellular tornadoes that develop over bodies of water. These spiraling columns of air frequently develop in tropical areas close to the equator, and are less common at high latitudes. Other tornado-like phenomena which exist in nature include the gustnado, dust devil, fire whirls, and steam devil. There are several different scales for rating the strength of tornadoes. The Fujita scale rates tornadoes by damage caused, and has been replaced in some countries by the updated Enhanced Fujita Scale. An F0 or EF0 tornado, the weakest category, damages trees, but not substantial structures. An F5 or EF5 tornado, the strongest category, rips buildings off their foundations and can deform large skyscrapers. The similar TORRO scale ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes. Doppler radar data, photogrammetry, and ground swirl patterns (cycloidal marks) may also be analyzed to determine intensity and assign a rating.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Fearsome
• Twisters

[tfortune66]

@UndercoverCracker Try A Mile Or 2 miles wide

[Yetibiker11]

there is a simple answer and solution here people

[Yetibiker11]

those poor birds, all those grasshoppers, those poor mice wow

[Yetibiker11]

now that is sexy, just gobble up those crappy homes, good tornado just keep gobbliing them up now, good boy.

[welovetruth]

Scary thing, O Lord, your mercy

[juciestar107]

omg thts so scaryyyyy

[alcors22]

the sound of a tornado is like a roaring frieght train it scares you to your core you will never forget it for the rest of your life

[MadHornetSeries]

@Iamnutsy They are giving you a picture of what it sounds like. Most videos of weather you don't hear most of the sounds that are actually happening, so that's why they dub those in so you can hear the roar of a tornado or the clash of thunder.So really they are not a-holes.

[Iamnutsy]

@MadHornetSeries 1:25 I'm talking about TV programs doctoring footage, and adding sounds to clips, to make them seem more intense. If lightning strikes in the distance, you can't INSTANTLY hear it, because sound doesn't travel as fast as light. This footage is even time-lapsed, yet there is instant thunder with each flash. Storms are naturally intense, and don't need some tv a-hole adding fake sounds.

[TheFwiggle]

@Katsumerisfun JUNE 25, 2012