What is a Tornado?
A Tornado is a type of violent windstorm. It looks like a dark, spinning funnel hanging down from a dark thundercloud. The funnel consists of winds whirling around at speeds up to 300 miles per hour or perhaps even faster. No one knows for sure how fast peak tornado winds are because it is difficult to move measuring instruments into the narrow path of an oncoming tornado.
Tornado vs. Hurricane
Although tornadoes are the most violent storms known, they are small in size compared with other types of windstorms. A hurricane, for example, may cover an area of hundreds of miles, whereas a very large tornado would measure about a mile across at the ground.
Tornadoes are More Common in the United States
Tornadoes occur in nearly all parts of the work, but never over the polar regions…Tornadoes are more common in the United States, where they are often called twisters, than anywhere else in the world. Between 800 and 900 tornadoes are reported there in the Untied States every year. But there are probably more, since some are small and undetected.
When Tornadoes Occur
Tornadoes usually occur in the late afternoon or early evening. In the Northern Hemisphere, the months of March through October are the tornado months. These storms are not as frequent at other months. These storms are not as frequent at other times. In the United States, tornadoes usually occur in March through June.