Tornadoes

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Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms—essentially tight, rapidly rotating columns of air that extend from a thunderstorm to the ground. While they can happen almost anywhere, they are most famous for their dramatic (and destructive) appearances in "Tornado Alley."

Here is a breakdown of how these atmospheric whirlwinds work.

How They Form

Most intense tornadoes develop from a specific type of thunderstorm called a supercell. The process usually involves three key ingredients:

1. Instability: Warm, moist air trapped beneath cool, dry air.

2. Wind Shear: A change in wind speed or direction at different altitudes, which causes the air to start "rolling" horizontally.

3. The Uplift: A strong updraft tilts that horizontal rolling air into a vertical position, creating a mesocyclone.

Tornadoer i Danmark

I Danmark kalder vi dem ofte skypumper. Det er teknisk set det samme fænomen, men de danske udgaver opstår tit over vand eller i forbindelse med mindre kraftige byger.

• De er sjældent kraftigere end en EF0 eller EF1.

• De varer ofte kun få minutter.

• Selvom de er sjældne, ser vi dem typisk i sensommeren, når vandet omkring Danmark er varmt.

• Farven: En tornado er i sig selv usynlig. Det, du ser, er kondenseret vanddamp (skyer) og alt det støv og murbrokker, den suger op.

• Rotationsretning: På den nordlige halvkugle roterer de fleste tornadoer mod uret (cyklonalt).

• Anticyklonale tornadoer: Der findes sjældne tornadoer, der roterer med uret, men de er meget usædvanlige.

Power of Nature