Tornadoes are a menacing natural phenomenon. Message about a tornado

TORNADO And TORNADO

A tornado is a very strong, rotating vortex with horizontal dimensions of less than 50 km and vertical dimensions of less than 10 km, with a wind speed inside the vortex of more than 120 km/h. Sometimes a vortex formed at sea is called a tornado, and one formed on land is called a tornado. But, in fact, the words “tornado” and “tornado” are synonyms.

The top photo shows a tornado (originates on water), the bottom photo shows a tornado (originates on land).

The mechanism of tornado formation has not yet been fully studied. Textbooks and encyclopedias indicate only a few general information, most characteristic of tornadoes.

The energy of an average tornado with a radius of 1 km and average speed 250 km/h equals the energy of the first in the world atomic bomb!

The shape of tornadoes can be varied: column, cone, glass, barrel, whip-like rope, hourglass, horns of the “devil”...

Most often, tornadoes take the form of a rotating trunk, pipe or funnel hanging from the parent cloud (hence the name tornado - Spanish for rotating).

Rotation in tornadoes occurs counterclockwise. In the center of the tornado, an area of ​​​​strong vacuum of air is formed, just like in a syringe when you pull the plunger. Because of this, water, sand and other various objects (stones, boards, roofs of houses) are sucked into tornadoes, which are sometimes scattered over very long distances.

Nobody knows why, but tornadoes do not form everywhere on Earth, but more often in the same places. For example, in the USA, landspouts - tornadoes - are a common occurrence!

In Russia, the Moscow tornadoes of the beginning of the last century became the most famous. Now in Moscow and the Moscow region there are practically no tornadoes, but then they happened huge tornadoes, which even sucked in entire huts! There were photos showing an iron staircase bent into a spiral, destroyed houses and torn off roofs. Eyewitnesses spoke of people and animals being lifted into the air.
The Moscow tornadoes of 1904 were accompanied by darkness, terrible noise, roars, whistling and lightning, rain and large hail - each hailstone weighed half a kilogram!

Of particular interest are the vortices inside the tornado, rotating with high speed, so that the surface of the water, for example, in the Yauza River and in the Lublin ponds, when a tornado passed, first boiled and began to seethe like in a cauldron, then the tornado sucked the water inside itself and the bottom of the reservoir and river was exposed!

Although the destructive power of the Moscow tornadoes was significant, it should be noted that according to the five-point classification of the Japanese scientist T. Fujita, these tornadoes belong to the medium category (F-2 and F-3).

The most powerful F-5 tornadoes are observed in the United States. For example, during the tornado on September 2, 1935 in Florida, wind speeds reached 500 km/h! This tornado killed 400 people and caused complete destruction of buildings in a strip 15-20 km wide.

In fact, many of the disasters we may face are caused by natural phenomena and human will.

Fear and superstition aside, humans are faced with one of the most amazing sights in the natural world. These twisting storm columns can reach wind speeds of up to 200 mph, destroying homes and buildings in the process and are called tornadoes or waterspouts.

However, in some parts of the world, these powerful tornadoes are a common occurrence. The United States alone experiences more than 1,000 such natural events per year, and tornadoes are reported on every continent except Antarctica. perhaps these are natural phenomena.

What is a tornado

The natural phenomenon of a tornado is a violently rotating column of air that descends with a thunderstorm to the ground. No other weather phenomenon can match the fury and destructive power. This natural phenomenon can be strong enough to destroy large buildings, leaving only bare concrete foundations. In addition, they can lift 20-ton railway cars from their tracks, and turn ordinary cars into flying ones.

A tornado is a truly complex natural phenomenon and does not even provide an explanation. They form only if the storm begins to spin vertically, a corkscrew of air rising high into the sky. Scientists believe the rotation begins due to wind shear, rapid changes in wind speed or direction across different levels atmosphere.

Imagine a piece of plasticine between your hands. If you move this plasticine to opposite directions, he rises into the phone between his hands.

Difference between hurricane, tornado and tornado

The natural phenomenon of a tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm cumulonimbus cloud to the ground. The natural phenomenon is often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud. It is important to never confuse it with a hurricane or other tropical cyclone because tornadoes and hurricanes are very different natural phenomena. Perhaps the only similarity between them is that they both contain strong rotating winds that can cause damage.

If hurricanes nuclear warhead nature, then the tornado is its smart bomb.

There is no difference between a tornado and a tornado, since tornado is a translation into Russian.

However, there are many differences between tornadoes and hurricanes. A large tornado is observed up to 4 km wide, and most< 0.8 км в ширину. Материнские грозовые облака, которые образуют это явление, обычно имеют ширину около 16 км. Однако ураганы, как правило, намного больше, от примерно 160 км до 1600 км в ширину.

The life of a tornado is short, from a few seconds to several hours. Against, life cycle A hurricane can last from several days to several weeks. The thunderclouds that produce them require strong vertical wind shear and strong horizontal temperature changes. Hurricanes thrive in regions where there is weak vertical wind shear and little horizontal change in atmospheric temperature. Besides, strong tornadoes usually occur over land, while hurricanes almost always form over the ocean.

Finally, the most powerful tornadoes can have wind speeds of more than 300 km/h, but even the most powerful hurricanes rarely produce wind speeds of more than 250 km/h.

Isolated storm clouds can produce tornadoes as the hurricane makes landfall, in some cases within days of landfall. The tornado is most likely to occur in a specific quadrant of the hurricane. Some studies show that the selected quadrant most often represents the front right quadrant with respect to the direction of hurricane propagation, but other studies show that the northeast quadrant is favored for the occurrence of the event regardless of the direction of hurricane propagation. Despite this, a tornado usually forms in the part of the hurricane where the vertical wind shear is greatest. If the hurricane interacts with the front or it absorbs unstable air, development will become more favorable. Some hurricanes may not produce tornadoes, while others develop somewhat affecting the Earth.

In general, tornadoes associated with hurricanes are relatively weak and short-lived, especially compared to those that occur in the plains of the United States. However, the consequences of this natural phenomenon added to the impact hurricane winds, can lead to enormous destruction.

Where do tornadoes most often occur?

This natural phenomenon occurs most often in the United States when warm, moist winds move north from the Gulf of Mexico during the spring and summer, where they meet cold, dry southern Canadian fronts.

In spring and summer months Southern winds predominate on the plains. At the origins of these southern winds lie warm waters Gulf of Mexico, which provide a lot of warmth, humid air, necessary for intensive development of a thunderstorm. Hot dry air forms over more high altitudes to the west and becomes a lid as it spreads east over the humid air of the Gulf. Dry air and Gulf air meet near land where a boundary known as the dry line forms west of Oklahoma.

Tornadoes are the most powerful tornadoes in nature. On average, 800 tornadoes are reported annually, resulting in approximately 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. It is a global phenomenon, affecting people on every continent except Antarctica.

How do tornadoes form?

The truth is that scientists don't fully understand how they form. Typically, tornadoes develop several thousand meters above the surface of the earth within a huge rotating thundercloud. This thunderstorm contains a very strong rotating updraft. It is this rotation that drags everything along the way.

A tornado begins as a funnel cloud extending from thunderclouds. The cloud funnel becomes visible due to water droplets, but in some cases may appear invisible due to lack of moisture. When the funnel cloud is halfway between the base and the ground, a "tornado" begins.

High-speed winds swirl around a small, relatively calm center and suck up dust and debris, making this natural phenomenon darker and more visible.

What is the path length of a tornado? How long will they last? How fast do they move?

The trajectories of this natural phenomenon vary from 100 meters to 4 kilometers in width and rarely exceed 20 kilometers in length. They can last from a few seconds to more than an hour, but most do not exceed 10 minutes. Most travel from southwest to northeast at an average speed of 50 km per hour, but speeds range from almost no traffic to 100 km per hour.

When and where do tornadoes occur?

Most tornadoes occur in the relatively flat basin between the mountain and the sea, but no state is immune. Peak months for the phenomenon are April, May and June. The typical onset time is a fairly warm and sultry spring afternoon and 9 pm.

What causes a tornado?

A tornado forms under a certain set weather conditions, in which three very different types of air are combined in a certain way. There is a layer of warm and moist air near the ground, along with strong southerly winds. Colder air and strong westerly or southwesterly winds lie in upper atmosphere. Changes in temperature and humidity between the surface and the upper levels create what we call instability. It is a necessary ingredient for the formation of a natural phenomenon. A third layer of hot, dry air is established between the warm, moist air at low levels and the cool, dry air. This hot layer acts as a lid and allows the warm air to become even more unstable. Complex interactions between the updraft and surrounding winds can cause the updraft to begin to rotate and the natural phenomenon of a tornado is born.

What is the Fujita Damage Scale?

Dr. Theodore Fujita, who studied this phenomenon, developed a damage scale to provide force ratings based on damage surveys. Since it is very difficult to make direct measurements, damage-based wind estimates are the best way to classify them. The new, improved scale addresses some of the limitations that meteorologists and engineers identified with the introduction of the Fujita scale in 1971. The range of intensities remains as before, from zero to five, with "EF0" being the weakest, associated with very little damage, and "EF5" representing complete destruction, which occurred in Greensburg, Kansas, on May 4, 2007, classified like "EF5". The EF scale was adopted on February 1, 2007.

Constant vigilance and quick warning are critical as this natural phenomenon can strike almost anywhere at any time. Most tornadoes, while violent at the start, are short-lived and often disappear into the rain or darkness. The best way coping with them is willingness.

What was the largest tornado in the world?

The largest tornado in the world occurred on March 18, 1925 in the USA. 747 people were killed and 2,027 injured in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana when several twisters occurred that day. The largest of these tornadoes, called the "tri-state", took 695 lives and was classified as an F5. He moved 300 km on the ground at a speed of 100 km per hour. This continued on the ground for 7 hours and 20 minutes.

What are the strongest winds?

Using radar, meteorologists recorded that on May 3, 1999, one Twister had winds of 480 km per hour at an altitude of 30 meters. Scientists have found that the strongest winds typically occur around 100 meters above the ground. However, most of this natural phenomenon does not have wind speeds exceeding 150 km per hour.

Although they can occur at any time of the day or night, most tornadoes form late in the day. By this time, the sun had warmed the earth and atmosphere enough to produce thunderstorms.

Discuss

Surely, observing various natural phenomena, a person has more than once asked himself the question about one of the most dangerous of them - a tornado.

What is a tornado? This is a strong vortex, a kind of giant air funnel formed under cumulus clouds due to the difference in atmospheric pressure and always developing in a vertical spiral.

What is a tornado?

A tornado is easy to recognize by its dark cloud column, the height and diameter of which are frightening in size and can reach several kilometers. This natural phenomenon always descends from a cloud in the form of a cone-shaped funnel, tapering towards the surface of the earth. Spinning at breakneck speed, it absorbs objects that get in its way.

The approach of a tornado is accompanied by a terrible growing sound, its strength reminiscent of the roar of a huge freight train or a waterfall. The energy of the tornado is equal to the explosion of an atomic bomb, exploded in 1945 by the Americans during tests in New Mexico.

Deadly Funnel

The rotation of air flows inside a tornado occurs counterclockwise, creating a very low Atmosphere pressure, literally tearing to shreds everything that falls into the deadly funnel. Although sometimes, contrary to all the rules, tornadoes preserve the life of living organisms. Chickens caught in a tornado and having experienced what a tornado is like escape from it alive, albeit completely without feathers. In America, cases have been recorded when a tornado tore a house into pieces, leaving the buffet with dishes untouched. There is an assumption that explains such situations. A certain center is formed inside the deadly funnel - the “eye of the tornado” (as experts call it), around which the entire mass of air rotates, developing a speed of about 200 meters per second. This is probably where the surviving objects and surviving victims end up in this vacuum.

Difference between tornado and tornado

Tornado, tornado - what is the difference between the two dangerous natural disasters? In the name and territorial location. Tornadoes are characteristic of American lands, where they rage in full force, and in different states with different frequencies. Thus, with an average annual number of 700, a single tornado was recorded in Alaska in 1953; There were more than 1,200 tornadoes in Kansas during the same period. States most often affected by this phenomenon are Ohio and Texas. The most powerful tornado swept through the Midwest in March 1925, killing 689 people. Australia ranks second after the United States, although the number of tornadoes here is less impressive: about 15 per year.

America is the land of tornadoes

Why did America fall in love with such a terrifying natural element? Because in this area there is the highest probability of meeting warm, moist air (which is characteristic of the Gulf of Mexico) with cold, dry air located over cold areas of sea and land (in this case, the territory of Canada and the Rocky Mountains).

Therefore, in America, it most often occurs a large number of showers, squally winds, thunderstorms that carry the threat of deadly tornadoes.

How does a tornado form?

How does a tornado occur? First, an ominous thundercloud appears on the horizon; At the same time, it becomes very stuffy and hot outside. Then the rain begins to drizzle and a slight wind rises, which, upon reaching the cloud, is directed sharply upward. If you look at the top of the cloud, you can see how it begins to change, swirling upward, then falling down, while powerful air currents drill through it. Then there is a sharp drop in temperature, after which a chilling, unbearable cold sets in. From the hanging clouds, a “pillar” descends to the ground and rotates at tremendous speed. A tornado, being an integral part of a cloud, cannot break away from it and exist independently.

At this time, a giant atmospheric vortex is moving towards it from the surface of the earth. When two pillars collide, one is formed, connecting the earth and sky. Rolling with a deafening roar, the tornado storm pulls into itself everything that gets in its way: houses, trees, cars, people.

The destructive power of a tornado

The duration of this terrible action is 10 minutes, after which everything calms down. On the surface of the earth, as a reminder of the furious rage of nature, there remains a strip of several kilometers along which it looks as if a giant bulldozer had driven through. Atmospheric vortex so terrible in its strength that it is capable of carrying heavy objects over long distances. The wind speed reaches 1000 km/h, trees and pieces of metal torn out of the ground move through the air at the same speed, turning into deadly dangerous weapon. Those who had the opportunity to experience what a tornado was said that at the scene of its action they found what looked like nails driven into tree trunks. The very low pressure in the middle of a tornado can cause a house to explode if the base of the spinning funnel touches the structure. Meteorologists, thanks to modern equipment, are able to predict the exact date and the time of formation of such natural disaster. You should know that the safest place in the house is its north-eastern corner or middle front door; on the street it is a ditch or ditch. During a tornado, you should stay away from window openings. Windows and doors on the side of the approaching elements must be closed, and on the opposite side opened and thus secured. This will allow you to avoid an explosion if there is a pressure drop. Be sure to turn off the gas and turn off the electricity.

One of the most destructive natural phenomena is a tornado. How this whirlwind is formed, sweeping away everything in its path, has not yet been fully understood. The main reason for its appearance is the collision of warm and cold air flows. Typically, a tornado occurs during a thunderstorm and is accompanied by rain or hail. There are cases when the whirlwind is fenced off by a veil of rain, and this factor makes such a phenomenon even more dangerous, since it makes the funnel invisible to the eye, and people have less and less time to hide from the tornado. There is no need to explain for a long time how this incredible threat to life arises.

When a tornado forms, the air temperature drops sharply. It only takes a few minutes for this to become noticeable. Soon you can observe the appearance of the culprit of the “triumph” - a tornado. How its “body” is formed is another interesting and frightening process. A kind of trunk begins to descend from the heavens to the earth, which, upon reaching its surface, turns into a deadly phenomenon. By the way, a tornado can have a wide variety of forms. This can be in the form of a column, cone, glass, barrel or whip-like rope. In addition, a tornado can have the appearance of either so-called “devil's horns” (these are vortices with several funnels), as well as many other shapes. However, most often observed such hurricanes have the appearance of a rotating trunk, pipe or funnel.

Rotational speed air masses inside the funnel it can reach 450 kilometers per hour. In addition, a tornado “sucks” into itself everything that comes in its path. What is also dangerous is that the air inside the funnel sinks. And the one on the outside, on the contrary, rises. This creates an area where objects filled with gas, and sometimes even residential buildings, can simply explode.

The places where tornadoes appear (how this phenomenon is formed is already known) can be different. But the North American continent was especially “lucky” to observe such vortices. The central states of the United States are most susceptible to tornado attacks; In this sense, life is easier for the eastern states. For example, the state of Florida has gained fame as the “land of waterspouts.” Whirlwinds come here from the sea almost every day.

The tornado in Oklahoma, which “walked” across the state on May 20, 2013, also had incredible strength and power. The diameter of the funnel of this vortex was three kilometers, and inside it reached 320 kilometers per hour. This tornado destroyed two schools in which classes were going on at that time, as well as a hospital.

The number of victims was simply enormous, and the material damage caused amounted to three billion dollars. This 2013 tornado received a strength rating of maximum level hazard - EF-5.

It should be noted that very often the victims of these hazardous phenomena become the so-called “tornado hunters”. These are desperate and brave (or stupid?) people who film tornadoes at the closest possible distance. There were cases when these daredevils managed to photograph even the epicenter of the vortex. However, are these pictures and videos worth exposing your life to such danger - everyone decides this question for themselves.

TORNADO

TORNADO(tornado), a funnel-shaped, furiously rotating vortex that forms in thunderclouds and extends down to the ground. Near the ground, its diameter is only about 100 m. The rotating wind speed ranges from 150 to 500 km/h. At the center of the tornado is an area of ​​extreme low pressure, where dust is drawn in, forming a dark sleeve that rises to the sky. Around this pipe rising air A very strong wind is blowing, uprooting plants and destroying buildings. A tornado occurs deep in an area of ​​low pressure when interacting with an ATMOSPHERIC FRONT or other weather changes. In continental areas they accompany intense heat in late summer, when the earth is at its warmest. Tornadoes are most common in the central US, but they also occur in India and many other countries. When a tornado passes over water, it turns into a WATERSPONDE. Average duration The life of a tornado or waterspout is 4 minutes. Stormy thunderstorms at the beginning of the rainy season in West Africa also called a tornado. They bring with them gusty winds and heavy rains, which are caused by the collision of warm sea air with dry air coming from the northeast, from the Sahara Desert.

Tornado A tornado is formed when strong winds hit a wide area cold front A powerful convection current will maintain the vortex until it is exhausted potential energy. Tornadoes cause enormous damage.

Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary.

Synonyms:

See what "TORNADO" is in other dictionaries:

- (Spanish tornado, from tornar to twirl, twist). A strong whirlwind between the tropics, near the west. coast of Africa, preceding heavy rains. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. TORNADO Spanish. tornado, from tornar,… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

Tromba, catamaran, thrombus; hurricane, tornado Dictionary of Russian synonyms. tornado see tornado Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011… Synonym dictionary

The name of the tornado in the USA...

International class catamaran yacht, crew of 2 people. In the Olympic program since 1976... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Dictionary Ushakova

TORNADO, uncl., and (rare) TORNADO, tornado, male. (Spanish tornado, pl. tornados) (meteor). Strong hurricane(in the West Indies and in the western part tropical Africa). Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Tornado) 1. Especially strong tornadoes (see), observed most often in North America. They cause great destruction. 2. Local wind off the western coast of Africa extending south to the river. Congo. Blows from March to June and in October November.... ... Marine Dictionary

An atmospheric vortex that arises in a thundercloud and spreads across earth's surface. It looks like a column, the air in it rotates counterclockwise at a speed of up to 100 km/h and at the same time rises in a spiral, drawing in dust, water from below... Dictionary of emergency situations

tornado- — EN tornado A rapidly rotating column of air developed around a very intense low pressure centre. It is associated with a dark funnel shaped cloud and with extremely violent winds… … Technical Translator's Guide

tornado- A violent and destructive, counterclockwise rotating, short-lived tropical storm accompanied by rain and thunder, associated with a deep cyclone, usually of small diameter, with a dark funnel cloud, analogous to a tornado in... ... Dictionary of Geography

Books

• Tornado, Varaksin A.Yu.. The book is devoted to the fundamental problems of studying free concentrated vortices. Possibilities considered mathematical modeling airspouts (tornadoes). For the first time in…