Tornado question?

Question

Say you have a upper level EF-3 tornado, with winds about 160 mph. Can a several second(or minute) gust exceed the that rating? Could the gust be well above 190 mph?

Answer 1

Yes.... definitely.

Answer 2

Tornadoes are classified by the damage they produce.  An EF-3 would mean that the worst damage found during the path of that tornado was in the EF-3 range.  It is very possible for that same tornado to produce much higher rotational winds at some point in it's lifetime.  If no structures were damaged during those higher peak winds the tornado would not receive a higher EF rating.