Does anyone no any facts on tornadoes ?

Question

For example how fast they move and where they are most likely to strike or just any information on them thankyooou for taking your time to answer xo

Answer 1

Here's a good website to get info:

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/torn...

Answer 2

usually between 3.00 and 9.00 p.m

Answer 3

one thing people need to know is that......just because you do not live in tornado alley....doesnt mean you are safe!

the traditional tornado alley maps are not so good.

anywhere can and do get tornadoes.

look at virginia just the other day! no one is immune.

Answer 4

Yes, it blew Dorothy's house away.  Also, learn how to spell "know".

Answer 5

They are being replaced with the typhoon (euro fighter) lol.

Answer 6

They are faster than a speeding bullet, they can destroy an entire house in a matter of seconds, they can and will strike anywhere at anytime. Of course in my house we call them kids.

Answer 7

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&sa=...

But if you mean the aircraft then try these

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=t...

Answer 8

F5's are the biggest

Answer 9

Tornadoes can travel at any speeds.  The average foreward motion of a tornado is between 25-35 mph, however, speeds can vary from stationary to as much as 65-70 mph!  The average direction a tornado travels is from Southwest to Northeast but again tornadoes can travel in any direction.  

Tornadoes are most likely to strike areas to the East of the Rocky Mountains and to the West of the Appalachians.  However, tornadoes can strike anywhere in the United States and in the world (except Antarctica and North Pole).  

For tornadoes to form you need warm moist air at the surface and cold dry air aloft.  The warm moist air rides Northward from the Gulf of Mexico and the cool dry air comes in from Canada or from air traveling over the Rocky Mountains.  You also need lots of speed shear (change of wind speeds with height) and directional shear (change in wind direction with height).  You don't want wind speeds to be too strong though as this can actually kill off tornadoes b/c the updraft gets tilted too much and the storm can't grow very tall.  You also need lots of instability but the amount of instability doesn't have to be as great when you are working with lots of shear.  

In the Plains you want surface winds to be out of the South or the Southeast.  This will bring in the warm moist air needed at the surface.  Up at 925mb you want winds to be S or SE as well b/c you need warmth and moisture at this level as well.  Dew points here should be above 18-20C.  Winds should be between 20-40 knots here.  At 850mb winds should be more from the S.  This means there is slight directional shear here and there is also moisture at this level.  Winds of 30-45 knots is looked for.  Dew points here should be greater than 12C-14C.  At 700mb you want winds to be more from the WSW.  Winds here should be right around 40-45 knots.  This would be winds coming more of land than from the Gulf which means the air here would be much drier.  Dew points should be less than 5-6C and below 0C is considered significant.  You want temps here to be below 8C but this is season dependent.  At 500mb you would like to see temperatures below -15C but this again is season dependent.  Winds here should be   around 60-80 knots.  On rare occasions winds at this level could be as much as 100 knots.  Meteorologists refer to this as the "barb of death".  Winds should be more out of the W here, even NW winds here combined with S or SE winds at the surface indicated strong directional shear.  The 500mb winds are also considered the Mid level jet.  At 250-300mb, where the upper level jet is located you would like winds to be at least 85-90 mph but no stronger than 135-150 knots.  Winds here should be more out of the WNW.      You really don't want to see NNW winds as these tend to blow the anvils to areas ahead of the storm which can decrease potential instability.  If you look on a map and see a U-shaped bend in the Upper Level Jet these have been noted in some major outbreaks.    

You also want high helicity values which you will have if you have strong directional shear.  

You should also have very steep lapse rates.  Lapse rate is defined as decrease of temperature with height.  The steeper  the decrease of temperature the steeper the lapse rates.  This is also a factor which can strongly increase lift.  

The set-ups usually are a low pressure digging in from the Southern Rockies.  As the low travels over the Rockies it deepens very quickly.  The low then drags a Warm Front Northward which pushes the warm moist air Northward.  The low also drags a cold front South and East.  This is where the warm moist air and cooler drier air meet.  Along warm fronts is usually where the increased tornado threats exist as there is strong directional shear along warm fronts.

Answer 10

Yes I do.  They are most likely to occur in the midwest.  Where the different air masses come into contact.   But they can happen anywhere in the US.

The Enhanced Fujita scale is basically an upgrade of the original Fujita scale. In coordination with the SPC, NWS and the NSSL, decided to upgrade it to base it on the amount of damage to different structures instead of actual wind speed. Some examples of objects ranging from wood frame homes to brick homes, to malls, churches, well built steel buildings.

EF-0 65-85 mph Light damage will occur. Roofs partially missing, trees uprooted, very weak structures demolished.

EF-1 86–110 mph Extensive roof damage, cars tossed, outside walls can collapse.

EF-2 111–135 mph Weak homes can be severely damaged, roofs missing, cars tossed for yards.

EF-3 136–165 mph Entire stories of well-constructed houses destroyed; severe damage to large buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance.

EF-4 166–200 mph Well-constructed houses and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars thrown and small missiles generated.

EF-5 >200 mph Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air for many yards, high-rise buildings have significant structural deformation. Not likely to survive if not underground.

Here are some links for you to read up.  

TORNADO SAFETY

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/preparedness...

http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/torn...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/wcm/safety_r...

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/tor...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/swww/v5n1/to...

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/

http://www.spc..noaa.gov/faq/tornado/saf...

http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/0075...

http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/saf...

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_tor.php

WHY OVERPASSES ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR SHELTERS

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/papers/overp...

TORNADO INFORMATION

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tstorm...

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_tor.php

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/ts...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/ts...

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/faq/faq_tor..ph...

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tornado/...

http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/0075...

http://www.hubbard.lib.oh.us/tornado/tor...

http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/hazard/

Tornado Climatology

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/briefings/vol2_... and El Nino / La Nina

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/sch...

Top 10 Killer U.S. Tornados

http://www.tornadoproject.com/toptens/to...

Answer 11

violent storms over land, with wind speeds up to 650km/h are called tornadoes. they form when a funnel-like column of air sinks down from a cumulonimbus cloud, as warm air rises and rotates around it. a tornado's centre has extremely low air pressures. the great difference between the air pressure in buildings and the air pressure in a tornado can make buildings explode. the fierce winds have been known to lift people into the air and tear trees out of the ground.

about 500 to 600 tornadoes occur in the United States every year. they move over land between 30 and 60 km/h and leave a trail of destruction before they finally die out.