Formation: From a Thunderstorm to a Tornado(images via:Life In The FastLane,Flickr,Flickr,Flickr,Cool Chaser,Flickr,Flickr)
Thunderstorms most often develop in warm, moist air in advance of moving cold fronts. These thunderstorms can produce strong damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes. Huge amounts of energy are released as the water vapor in the rising air condenses. Some of this energy is changed into powerful vertical winds that can move downward (downdrafts) and upward (updrafts). The updrafts of a rotating supercell can form into a violent vortex, a tornado.
In the pictures above, the lowest part in the center of each cloud is called a wall cloud. Many times the wall cloud can be rain-free, but rain pours out of the sky in the background. Moments later in some cases, a strong tornado develops into a funnel that drops down to touch the ground and become a tornado. Environmental clues to watch for include a dark, often greenish sky, a wall cloud, large hail, and a loud roaring like a rolling freight train.
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