Tornado : Oklahoma, USA
A large tornado touched down in Kay County, Oklahoma, USA.
- It is a vertical, land-based column of violently rotating air that forms from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground.
- It is characterised by a rapid cyclonic circulation and is often seen as a cloud-filled condensation funnel extending from the sky to the ground.
- When such a rotating column of air forms over a water body, it is known as a waterspout.
- Tornado formation is closely linked to interactions between contrasting air masses.
- A collision of warm, moist air(usually from tropical regions) with cool, dry air (typically from polar or upper regions), especially in the presence of a low-pressure system or trough, leads to the formation of thunderstorms and may trigger tornadoes.
- It typically exhibit wind speeds ranging from 105 to 322 km/h, but some extreme events can exceed this range.
- They can be stationary or move at high speeds, often advancing at around 97 km/h across the landscape.
- Tornadoes occur most commonly in mid-latitude regions (between 20° and 60° latitude in both hemispheres) where cold polar air meets warm tropical air, producing frequent thunderstorm activity.
- The United States experiences the highest frequency of tornadoes globally, particularly in the region known as “Tornado Alley”.
