Tornadoes By: Liza N. Burby

What is a tornado? Meteorologists, people who study the weather, say a tornado is the most violent of all storms. It is a fast moving, spinning column of air called a funnel cloud that twists down from a thunderstorm. When the funnel reaches all the way down to the ground, it is called a tornado. Tornadoes are also called twisters or cyclones.

What is a Tornado? The spinning winds in the funnel act like an enormous vacuum cleaner. They can suck up cars, trains, trees, and even houses. One reason people are interested in tornadoes is because they do weird things. They've been known to take the feathers off a chicken and carry big cows from one farm to another. Some cows have even disappeared during a tornado!

What Causes Tornadoes? Tornadoes usually start if there is a bad thunderstorm with lightning, hail, and fast winds. Tornadoes happen when warm, wet air moving in one direction meets colder, drier air coming from the opposite direction. When these two kinds meet, the warm air rises over the cold air and starts to spin. The rising spinning air sucks in warm air from just above the ground. This warm air becomes part of the tornado. Warm air rises and makes the tornado rise higher in the air. As it rises, it spins faster, faster, and faster.

What is a Tornado like? A tornado may spin for just a few seconds, or it may go on for several hours. It may spin over one spot for a while and then suddenly dart off in any direction. It is very difficult to tell where a tornado will go next. Sometimes tornadoes zigzag, moving quickly from side to side.

What is a Tornado Like? Sometimes there are several tornadoes that move in a group or follow each other. Most tornadoes happen far inland, away from water. A waterspout is an unusual tornado that forms over a river, lake or ocean. This kind of tornado sucks up water as well as warm air. Waterspouts are strong enough to pull fish and frogs from the water and carry them to other places.

Where do tornadoes happen? Tornadoes can happen anywhere in the world if warm, damp winds meet colder, drier winds. More tornadoes happen in the United States than anywhere else in the world. In the United States, tornadoes are common in an area that has been known as Tornado Alley.

Looking for Tornadoes Because tornadoes can hurt people, meteorologists try to figure out when one is coming. They watch for weather patterns so they can warn people. Meteorologists use tools like Doppler radar, weather balloons, and pictures taken by satellites far above the Earth to watch for the patterns.

How Do You Know When It’s Coming? Tornadoes are scary, but you can usually find out if one is coming. You may see bad thunder storms with lighting, strong winds, and hail. Listen to your radio or TV for news reports about a possible tornado. If the news says there is a tornado watch you should be on the alert. Be ready to go to a safe place if a tornado warning is announced. A tornado warning means that meteorologists have spotted a tornado and they know where it is heading. People should seek shelter immediately.

Safety During A Tornado If you are home during a tornado warning, go to your basement and hide under a heavy piece of furniture. If you don’t have a basement, get into a closet in the middle of the house. Keep away from all windows in case the glass breaks. If you are outside and you can’t reach shelter, lie flat in a ditch. Cover your head with your hands to protect yourself from flying glass and dirt.

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