Tornado
Tornado
A Tornado (/tɔːrˈneɪdoʊ/; from Spanish: tronada, "thunderstorm") is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.
Etymology
The term 'tornado' is derived from the Spanish word 'tronada', which means 'thunderstorm'. This term was later altered in English to 'tornada', and over time, the 'r' and 'n' were transposed to create the current term 'tornado'.
Characteristics
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 (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), are more than two miles (3 km) in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).
Related Terms
- Supercell: A deep, persistently rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms.
- Mesocyclone: A deep, persistently rotating updraft is the defining feature of a supercell.
- Funnel Cloud: A funnel cloud is a funnel-shaped cloud of condensed water droplets, associated with a rotating column of wind and extending from the base of a cloud but not reaching the ground or a water surface.
- Derecho: A widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Tornado
- Wikipedia's article - Tornado
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