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tornado
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
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Learn about the disastrous and deadly power of tornadoes
How do tornadoes form?
Can we predict natural disasters?
Tornado Alley
Why does the United States have more tornadoes than other countries?
number and intensity of tornadoes in the U.S. per month thunderstorm: structure
How do tornadoes form?
hook echo tornado tracking
For Students
tornado summary
Quizzes
Lightning over a farm field. Weather electricity thunderstorm light energy tree
Facts You Should Know: Weather Quiz
Umbrella colored like a rainbow sticking out above a sea of black umbrellas while it rains. (storm, weather)
Weather Words Vocabulary Quiz
rain. Child in the rain, wearing a rain coat, under a yellow umbrella. April Showers weather climate rain storm water drops
April Showers to March’s Lions and Lambs
Related Questions
Read Next
A tornado in rural Iowa sweeps dangerously near a farm. Weather storm
Why Does the United States Have More Tornadoes than Any Other Country?
Lightning over the outskirts of Oradea, Rom., during the thunderstorm of August 17, 2005.
16 Questions About Earth’s Atmsophere and Weather Answered
Kansas tornado over field. (twister, strom, weather, clouds)
How Do Tornadoes Form?
Discover
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12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
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Poker Hands Ranked
Estimated battle casualties, Normandy invasion, World War II. WWII, D-Day
Estimated Battle Casualties During the Normandy Invasion and Campaign to Liberate Paris (June–August 1944)
The Fortune-Teller, oil on canvas by Georges de La Tour, probably the 1630s; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (101.9 x 123.5 cm.) (The Fortune Teller)
10 Paintings You Should See at the Met in New York City
Turtle, tortoise, reptile. Uses assets 88582 & 89606
What’s the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise?
Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere
Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?
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tornado

meteorology
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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Written by
John Snow
Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma.
John Snow
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Key People:
Tetsuya Fujita
Top Questions

What is a tornado?

How long do tornadoes last?

Where do tornadoes occur?

Which country has the most tornadoes?

How fast are tornado winds?

News •

How a Tornado-Damaged Town in Arkansas Became a Test Case for Trump’s FEMA • May 26, 2025, 6:01 AM ET (New York Times)
Heavy storms, tornadoes and 'tennis ball-sized hail' to hit the southern Plains • May 21, 2025, 2:23 AM ET (NBC)
'Significant damage': Tornado researchers outline 9-km downburst path near Chatham, Ont. • May 20, 2025, 11:17 AM ET (CBC)
Tornadoes strike St. Louis and southern Illinois while forecasters say storms could hit Appalachia • May 16, 2025, 5:03 PM ET (AP)

tornado, a small-diameter column of violently rotating air developed within a convective cloud and in contact with the ground. Tornadoes occur most often in association with thunderstorms during the spring and summer in the mid-latitudes of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. These whirling atmospheric vortices can generate the strongest winds known on Earth: wind speeds in the range of 500 km (300 miles) per hour have been measured in extreme events. When winds of this magnitude strike a populated area, they can cause fantastic destruction and great loss of life, mainly through injuries from flying debris and collapsing structures. ...(100 of 8079 words)

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