Tornadoes are rapidly rotating columns of air that extend from the base of a convective cloud, typically a supercell thunderstorm, to the ground, characterized by intense vertical vorticity and a tight pressure gradient. They form through the tilting and stretching of environmental wind shear, often involving a mesocyclone and low-level instability in the presence of strong updrafts and moisture. Their dynamics are governed by conservation of angular momentum, interactions between downdrafts and near-surface vorticity, and complex microphysical and thermodynamic processes. Tornado intensity and damage potential are quantified using scales such as the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale based on observed structural impacts.
Nearly every part of the United States is getting walloped by wild weather or just about to be.
Environment
Mar 13, 2026
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From tornadoes and hurricanes to wildfires and floods, weather and climate disasters cause billions of dollars in damage, on top of their steep human toll. Those costs could rise sharply in the years ahead, according to a ...
Environment
Feb 24, 2026
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Researchers at the University of Kansas have shown the National Severe Storms Laboratory's Warn-on-Forecast System (WoFS) has potential to help weather forecasters issue warnings to emergency managers and the general public ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 27, 2026
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Combing through 20 years of images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft, scientists have tracked 1,039 tornado-like whirlwinds to reveal how dust is lifted into the air and ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 8, 2025
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Tornadoes on the outer edges of a typhoon's spiral rain bands are a severe convective weather phenomenon that occurs on the periphery of tropical cyclone systems. Compared to the core region near the typhoon's center, the ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 24, 2025
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The power of a tornado can inflict tremendous damage on residential property, but the impact is also felt by nearby homeowners, even when their property is unscathed.
Earth Sciences
Aug 22, 2025
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Wind roared against the SUV's windows as its tires sloshed through water dumped onto the road by the downpour. A horizon-wide funnel cloud loomed out the window, several miles away. Then came the loud metallic pings on the ...
Environment
Jun 12, 2025
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Violent tornado outbreaks, like the storms that tore through parts of St. Louis and London, Kentucky, on May 16, have made 2025 seem like an especially active, deadly and destructive year for tornadoes.
Environment
May 23, 2025
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With new innovations and technology, scientists have learned from major tornado outbreaks over the years how to improve safety guidance. During tornado season, forecasters try to get the word out about staying safe during ...
Environment
May 19, 2025
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Severe storms that tore through the US states of Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia left more than 25 people dead, leveling homes and businesses while knocking out power for tens of thousands, authorities say.
Environment
May 18, 2025
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