TORNADOES

TORNADOES

Subject: Geography

Context: Twelve people were killed and over 300 injured when two powerful tornadoes walloped Chinese cities of Wuhan and Suzhou on Friday night, leaving a trail of destruction of houses and factories.

Concept:

• A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground.
• Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris.
• Tornadoes can be among the most violent phenomena of all atmospheric storms we experience.
• Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it.
• It is generally accompanied by extreme weather such as heavy downpours, hail storms, and lightning.