Tornadoes

As air is drawn into the base of a large thunderstorm cloud and accelerated upwards, any rotation in the air is concentrated – much the same as when a skater or dancer spins faster when they pull their arms in towards their torso. In certain circumstances, the rotation inside the cloud produces a narrow, tightly spinning funnel of air known as a tornado, which extends below the cloud. With wind speeds as high as 300 kilometres per hour, a tornado can be very destructive when it reaches the ground.

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