Tornado features and how tornadoes form/work
What are the features of a tornado?
Tornadoes have the following features:
• Wind speed from 40 mph to 308 mph
• Average travel path of 16 miles (26km)
• Are between 800 and 2000 feet high (244 and 610 meters)
• Have a funnel width of 10 feet (3 metres) to slightly more one mile (1.6 km)
• Winds twist clockwise south of the equator and anticlockwise north of the equator
• They mainly move southwest to northeast, but have been seen to travel randomly
• On average tornadoes last for one hour
• They form in the late afternoon (the warmest time of the day) with the largest touching down between 4 and 6 pm.
How does a tornado form/work?
A tornado is formed when a layer of cool, dry air covers a layer of warm moist air. Because cool air is heavy it starts to sink down to the ground while the warmer air rises. This forms a thunderhead cloud. Soon winds fast and strong start to blow. These winds whirl and spin around and around forming a funnel of air called a tornado.
As the tornado rushes forward, wreaking or lifting everything in its path. In an hour but usually much sooner the tornado is over. But be careful even as the tornado fades away other may form and grow.