WW2010
University of Illinois

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Tornadoes
violently rotating columns of air

A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendent from a cumulonimbus cloud.

[Image: weak tornado (49K)]
Photograph by: Marshall

They can be categorized as "weak", "strong", and "violent"; with weak tornadoes often having a thin, rope-like appearance, as exhibited by this tornado near Dawn, Texas. About 7 in 10 tornadoes are weak, with rotating wind speeds no greater than about 110 MPH. (looking west from about 1 mile.)


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Credits and Acknowledgments for WW2010.
Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.