Table of Contents
Tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that collides with the Earth’s surface, a Cumulonimbus Clouds, or, on rare occasions, the base of a cumulus cloud.
Tornadoes are funnel-shaped storms with very low pressure at the centre. They are the smallest but most violent and disastrous of all the storms. Tornadoes generally occur in middle latitudes. Steep pressure gradients result in fast movement of air towards the centre. The inward-coming air is caught in the vortex of the storm and is rapidly uplifted. As it ascends, the air cools and forms Thunderstorms.
Tornadoes can completely demolish well-built structures, uproot trees, and launch objects through the air like devastating missiles. This article will explain tornadoes, which will help you prepare for the UPSC Civil Service exam’s Geography syllabus.
Read More: Types of Winds
What is Tornado?
Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that collide with the Earth’s surface, cumulonimbus clouds, or, in rare cases, the base of cumulus clouds. It’s also referred to as a twister, whirlwind, or cyclone. Tornadoes can be seen as a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it.
Tornadoes typically have wind speeds of less than 110 miles per hour (180 kilometres per hour), are about 250 feet (80 metres) in diameter, and travel a few miles (several kilometres) before dissipating.
Tornadoes can reach wind speeds of over 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), have diameters of more than two miles (3 km), and can last for dozens of miles on the ground (more than 100 km)
The tornado is Wind spirals down like an elephant’s trunk from violent thunderstorms, with very low pressure at the centre, wreaking havoc along the way. Tornadoes are most common in the tropics.
Tornadoes are most common in the mid-latitudes of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in the spring and summer when thunderstorms are present. These storms convert potential and heat energy into kinetic energy, allowing the agitated atmosphere to settle back down.
Read More: List of Major Local Winds
Tornadoes Structure
Separate airflow areas exist in tornadoes with fully developed airflow. As shown in the diagram, the primary axis of circulation is located within the core region, a roughly cylindrical area of lower air pressure bounded by the maximum tangential winds. If a visible funnel cloud forms within the core region, it will be visible. The condensation funnel is the cloud’s column of water droplets. If the weather is extremely dry, a tornado may not have a condensation funnel. Air near the ground, known as the inflow boundary layer, converges from all directions into a tornado’s “corner region” in response to the reduced pressure in the central core.
When the wind enters the core region and begins its upward spiral, it “turns the corner” from mostly horizontal to vertical flow, giving this region its name. The neighbourhood around the corner is extremely dangerous. The exploding inflow propels material ripped from the surface aloft, resulting in a dust swirl or debris fountain. Normally, the turbulent airflow inflow boundary layer that feeds the corner region is a few tens of metres deep. A weakly spinning outer layer above the boundary layer surrounds the core.
Read More: Types of Clouds
Tornadoes Diagram
The tornado’s three-dimensional structure is funnel-shaped, which means that when the tornado forms, a funnel-shaped cloud column similar to a trunk twists downwards from the convective clouds.
Tornadoes Formation
Tornadoes are frequently formed by the combination of shear, lift, instability, and moisture.
Wind shear is the most important factor in tornado formation. Wind shear causes winds to roll into a horizontal column at times. The column of air becomes vertical when air is moved from the ground to the atmosphere in a vigorous updraft.
A storm would normally occur at that point in this scenario. When a storm intensifies, it frequently transforms into a supercell thunderstorm. These supercell thunderstorms are distinct, isolated cells that are not part of a storm line. Supercell storms are storms that rotate and spin. The storm cloud may produce a tornado when the vertical, spinning column of air and the supercell thunderstorm combine. Tornadoes are more common in the spring and less common in the winter. In the spring and fall, stronger winds, wind shear, and atmospheric instability are present, so activity increases. Tornado occurrence is strongly dependent on the time of day due to solar heating. Tornadoes are the most dangerous in the United States. At any given time, approximately 1,800 thunderstorms are active around the world.
Read More: Equatorial Climate Region
Tornadoes Distribution
Polar regions are uncommon, as are latitudes greater than 50° N and 50° S.Temperate and tropical climates are more prone to thunderstorms. Tornadoes have been reported on every continent except Antarctica. Tornadoes are the most dangerous in the United States. Canada has the world’s second-highest number of tornadoes. Bangladesh has the highest tornado risk on the Indian subcontinent. At any given time, approximately 1,800 thunderstorms are active around the world.
Read More: Rainfall
Tornadoes Significance
- Tornadoes provide a lot of nitrogen to the soil as well as water to the plants.
- A tornado is the most efficient way to transfer air from one section of the atmosphere to another in terms of size and time.
- Tornadoes, with their massive movement, aid in seed pollination.
- It also destroys old-growth trees, which provide habitat for wildlife in the area.
- Tornadoes are well-known for uprooting large trees and transporting them to a new location.
Read More: Precipitation
Tornado and Cyclone Difference
| Cyclone | Tornado |
| A cyclone is a large circulating air mass with a central vortex. | A tornado is a revolving column of air that forms a funnel shape as it approaches land. |
| Cyclones are most common near oceans and coastlines. | Tornadoes are most common on the mainland. |
| The Saffir-Simpson wind scale and the Beauford scale are used to determine the intensity of a cyclone. | The enhanced Fujita scale is used to determine the intensity of a tornado. |
| Cyclones could be several hundred miles in length. | Tornadoes can be up to 12 miles wide, but they can be much larger. |
| Cyclones can last for several weeks. | Tornadoes last only minutes to hours. |
| Cyclone frequency varies according to the type of cyclone. | Tornadoes can occur several hundred times per year. |
| A cyclone produces rain in the form of precipitation. | A tornado can produce rain, sleet, or hail as precipitation. |
Despite their differences, cyclones and tornadoes are both extremely powerful storms. When looking at different storms, especially those with revolving winds, it can be difficult to tell them apart — the main difference between a tornado and a cyclone is where and why it forms. A cyclone forms over water, whereas a tornado forms over land.
Individuals are at risk of being struck by flying and falling debris during tornadoes and cyclones due to extremely high winds and waves. The devastation caused by tornadoes and cyclones raises serious safety concerns. Although there is little you can do to prevent tornadoes, you can take precautions to protect your health and safety.
Read More: Humidity
Tornado UPSC
Tornadoes and cyclones occur in India. Tornadoes, unlike cyclones, occur on a relatively infrequent basis. Tornadoes of moderate strength strike the country’s northwestern and north-eastern regions, causing significant damage to people and property. Cyclones form in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, while weak tornadoes occur in the country’s northwestern and northeastern regions.
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