1. Tornadoes and Hurricanes
CGF3M
Tues. Dec. 10, 2013

2. Tornadoes Also called a twister or cyclone
A tornado is a powerful rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground, with updwards spiralling winds
Occur most frequently in late spring/ early summer, between 3-9 pm.
Found in Canada, Russia, China, Bangladesh, Argentina, Australia- but are most frequent in the US
More than 700 occur per year in the US

3. Tornado Alley
Warm, moist air from Gulf of Mexico moves north and collides with polar air moving south from the Arctic
Creates instability in the atmosphere, leading to supercells

4. How a Tornado Forms
FLASH animation

5. Tornado Chasers
Storm chasers spend up to 12 hours / day in a vehicle tracking down storms to study
Some use specially-designed vehicles that can actually enter a tornado to collect data and video
Inside a tornado- incredible video!
Dangers of storm chasing- 3 dead after tracking- video

6. Destruction from a Tornado
The Fujita Scale ranks tornadoes according to wind speed, duration, and path of destruction
The path can be erratic and may suddenly change direction
Damage can extend anywhere from kms in length, and can be 2 metres- 2 km wide
Approx. 80 tornadoes occur each year in Canada, 2 deaths
Before and after pictures- Joplin, MI

8. Tornado Warning vs. Watch
Tornado watch- conditions are ripe for the development of a tornado… stay tuned.
Tornado warning- a funnel cloud has been spotted in the area. Take shelter!

9. Hurricanes
Also known as typhoons, tropical cyclones, and willy- willies
Originate over the warm ocean in areas close to the Equator
Intro- video
Read the article about recent Typhoon Haiyan, answer questions
Tomorrow: Guest speaker!