True or False---Tonadoes only happen in the United States.
False, tornadoes happen all over the world.
100
Thunderstorms that most likely give birth to tonadoes are called?
Supercells
100
True or False--- Tornado winds are the fastest winds on Earth.
True, the winds can reach 300 mile per hour
100
What are waterspouts?
Tornadoes that form over oceans or lakes.
200
Tornado comes from what latin word that means thunder?
Tonare
200
Tornadoes occur most in the midwestern United States called?
Tornado Alley (Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas)
200
What are supercells?
Huge storms which spread over 100 square miles that last more than three hours. They have hail, heavy rains, and strong winds.
200
Why is a funnel cloud of a tornado like a vacuum cleaner hose.
It sucks up everything it touches.
200
List three facts about waterspouts.
1.They suck up water instead of dirt and dust.
2. They are not as powerful as tornadoes
3. They rarely have wind speeds over 50 mile per hour.
300
How long do twisters last?
A few minutes
300
When do tornadoes usually occur in Tornado Alley and how many occur every week?
Spring and early summer with 30 twisters occurring every week.
300
What is the first step meteorologists think happens inside a supercell while a tornado is forming?
A strong wind blows over another wind coming from the opposite direction. This casues the air to spin on it's side.
300
What is a tornado watch?
A tornado may be coming because conditions are right.
300
What are dust devils?
They suck sand and dirt into a tall spinning tube.
400
Which one travels faster, a racehorse or a tornado?
A tornado
400
What three conditions are present in spring and early summer which causes many tornadoes in Tornado Alley?
1. Warm humid air from the Gilf of Mexico blows north
2. Dry air from the Rocky Mountains blows east
3. Cool dry air from Canada blows south
400
What is the second step meteorologists think happens inside a supercell while a tornado is forming?
An updraft knocks the spinning air upright. This is called a funnel cloud.
400
What is a tornado warning?
A tornado has been spotted.
400
List three facts about dust devils.
1. The tube can be half a mile high.
2. They don't usually do much damage.
3. Their wind speeds are less than 50 miles per hour.
500
True or False ---Tornadoes can form very quickly during a powerful thunderstorm
True
500
What causes violent thunderstorms?
Cool air bumps into warm air.
500
What is the third and fourth step meteorologists think happens inside a supercell while a tornado is forming?
The funnel cloud spins faster because the storm is spinning also. The funnel cloud gets longer and pushes through the bottom of the storm cloud.
When the funnel cloud touches the ground its a tornado.
500
What are some tornado safety tips?
1. Listen to the radio or watch TV to know when a twister is coming.
2. Take shelter by going to the basement, closet or bathroom.
3. Stay inside till the storm is over.