Ask Tappity: Science Questions for Kids > What is a tornado?
What is a Tornado?
What causes these massive whirlwinds of destruction? Watch this video to find out, or check out our kid-friendly explanation below!
Tornadoes Are Born Inside Thunderstorms
Tornadoes don’t come out of nowhere - they are generated by a special kind of thunderstorm called a Supercell. A supercell is sort of like a tornado’s parent. It’s a powerful thunderstorm with a giant rotating column of air at its center. That huge rotating column of air inside the storm is what eventually might turn into a tornado. When conditions are just right, a thinner spinner column of air can form between the ground and the storm - that’s a tornado!
There’s a Lot We Still Don’t Know About How Tornadoes Form
Tornadoes have winds fast enough to pick up a car and hurl it down miles away. Their destructive power makes them hard to study - you can’t get too close! Scientists are still investigating exactly how tornadoes form. For a long time, they thought the tornado came down to the ground from the storm, but recent studies have shown that the tornado might actually start on the ground and work its way up to the storm!
Want To Be a Tornado Scientist?
Scientists who study the weather are called Meteorologists. Some meteorologists are Tornado Chasers - they drive to where tornadoes are, to study them up close! This job is dangerous, but it provides super useful data.
Tornado Facts For Kids
Got tornado questions? We’ve got tornado answers!
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Supercells, which are storms that give rise to tornadoes, form when cool, dry air runs into hot, moist air. This often happens in the American Midwest - so often, that this area has come to be known as “Tornado Alley.”
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Tornadoes are very loud - people who have been near them have described them like being near a freight train or jet engine.
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The air of a tornado is spinning super fast, but the center is free of rain and debris. It’s relatively peaceful! Instead, there’s a strong updraft - wind blowing up to the sky. It’s also hard to breathe, because the air pressure is lower, just like at the top of a mountain.
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If you’re caught in the path of a tornado or hear a tornado warning, the best thing to do is take shelter immediately. Try to get to the basement or to an inner room without windows on the lowest floor. If you’re caught outside, it’s best to find a ditch or low-lying area. If you’re in a vehicle, do not try to outrun the tornado - get to shelter!
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Predicting tornadoes is difficult, so warning can come at the last minute, even though meteorologists, or scientists who study the weather, are constantly on the lookout for them. Here are the warning signs of a tornado:
-Rotating funnel-shaped cloud
-Approaching cloud of debris
-Dark or green-colored sky
-Large, dark, low-lying cloud
-Large hail
-Loud roar that sounds like a freight train
More Answers to Weather Questions from Kids
Why do hurricanes spin? What is lightning? The Tappity Meteorologist library has interactive lessons with answers to those questions and more!
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