Or am I wrong about this? Are cyclones the same as tornadoes but just on other continents?
134048
According to the all knowing Wikipedia: "Tornadoes form in storms all over the world, and though they have been recorded in all fifty U.S. states, they form most famously in a broad area of the American Great Plains, Midwest, as well as South known colloquially as Tornado Alley. In pure number of incidences, the United States reports more tornadoes than any other country, however, the Netherlands is the most tornado-prone country relative to land area."\n\n"The United States experiences by far the most tornadoes of any country, and has also suffered the most intense ones. Tornadoes are common in most states in spring and summer, especially those east of the Rocky Mountains. There is a secondary peak in autumn, especially in the southeastern U.S. where tornadoes also occur more frequently during winter there than in other areas.\n\nTornadoes can occur in the West as well, although they are usually very small and relatively weak. Recently tornadoes have struck the Pacific coast town of Lincoln City, Oregon, in 1996 and downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1999 (see Salt Lake City Tornado). The California Central Valley is an area of some frequency for tornados, albeit of weak intensity. More tornadoes occur in Texas than in any other US state. The state which has the highest number of tornadoes per unit area is Florida, although most of the tornadoes in Florida are weak tornadoes of F0 or F1 intensity. A number of Florida's tornadoes occur along the edge of Hurricanes. The state with the highest number of stronger tornadoes per unit area is Oklahoma. The neighboring state of Kansas is another particularly notorious tornado state. It should be mentioned that states such as Oklahoma and Kansas have much lower population densities than Florida and that tornadoes may go unreported.\n\nOn average, the United States experiences 100,000 thunderstorms each year, resulting in more than 1,200 tornadoes and approximately 50 deaths per year. The deadliest U.S. tornado on record is the March 18, 1925, Tri-State Tornado that went across southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois and southern Indiana, killing 695 people. More than six tornadoes in one day is considered a tornado outbreak. The biggest tornado outbreak on record—with 148 tornadoes, including six F5 and 24 F4 tornadoes—occurred on April 3, 1974. It is dubbed the Super Outbreak. Another such significant storm system was the Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak, which affected the United States Midwest on April 11, 1965. A series of continuous tornado outbreaks is known as a tornado outbreak sequence, with significant occurrences in May 1917, 1930, 1949, and 2003.\n\nCanada also experiences numerous tornadoes, although fewer than the United States. In Canada, an average of 80 tornadoes occurs annually, killing 2, injuring 20 and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. The last killer tornado in Canada struck Pine Lake, Alberta, on July 14, 2000, killing 11.\n\nTornadoes do occur throughout the world as well; the most tornado-prone region of the world (outside North America), as measured by number of reported tornadoes per unit area, is the Netherlands, followed by the United Kingdom (especially England). Bangladesh, India, Argentina, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Estonia, and portions of Uruguay also have pockets of high tornadic activity. Occasional strong tornadoes occur in Russia, France, Spain, Japan, and portions of Paraguay and Brazil. Tornadoes have recently hit South Africa and parts of Pakistan in 2001 as well. Approximately 170 tornadoes are reported per year on land in Europe. Perhaps the most notorious tornado of recent years was that which struck Birmingham, England in July 2005 which destroyed a row of houses though - amazingly - without fatalities."
4932
According to answers.com\nhttp://www.answers.com/tornados%20\n\n"Tornadoes develop from severe thunderstorms, usually spawned from squall lines and supercell thunderstorms, though they sometimes happen as a result of a hurricane. They are believed to be produced when cool air overrides a layer of warm air, forcing the warm air to rise rapidly, though tornadoes over water (waterspouts) frequently are observed forming in the absence of convection or apparent strong surface temperature differences. Tornadoes, lightning, and sometimes hail are associated with thunderstorms. Many tornadoes appear at the tail end of mesocyclones. On weather radar screens, a characteristic "hook echo" marks the area where tornadoes are likely to exist."\n\nThe reference will give good idea for how do tornados form
56627
The US gets something like 90+% of all the world's hurricanes because the warm air of the Gulf Coast can interact directly with the cold air coming down from the arctic, with no mountains in between. If you look at a map, that is the only place that is true on earth. This causes tornadoes. \n\nIt rains and snows near mountains and islands in the ocean. This is called an orographic effect. Areas behind the mountains are often very dry. This creates deserts in the rain shadows of these mountains. \n\nAntarctica is a high plateau and a large continent. The distance from the ocean and the altitude make it the coldest place on earth. \n\nOften cold air comes over the Great lakes, and creates fingers of snow as the air moves east. This is called Lake Effect snow. \n\nChinooks and Santa Anas are examples of foehn winds, caused by air travelling down the lee side of a mountain and being compressed under a temperature inversion and warming up. These warm dry winds are also called katabatic winds.\n\nThe warm Gulf stream and warm Kurishiro currents on the western side of the Atlantic and Pacific respectively keep the land nearby warmer than it would be otherwise. These currents are western boundary currents of ocean gyres produced by the coriolis force in the Atlantic and Pacific ocean basins. \n\nTropical cyclones are also produced by coriolis force, and pick up energy from warm ocean waters that result from the world ocean current system. Of course, the topography of the oceans produces this world ocean current system, so topography is responsible for the tropical cyclones, including the hurricanes we are confronted with in the US.
249478
I live in Missouri...seen 10 + tornadoes in my lifetime in this area.  Tried chasing storms for a while a few years ago...went into Kansas and Oklahoma and seen most of them when I did that.  As a kid, I think I was 8, there was one that traveled about 1/4 mile from my house and we watched it.  Wild stuff....I love storms, the more destructive, the better.  My apologies to those of you who disagree with that statement, but it's just my opinion.  Don't like it?  Sorry 'bout your luck.
393341
Hot air and Cold air have to mix yes. But since Hawaii is an island the ocean provides a large area where temperatures do not change much.\nAlaska has a vast land area but most of the state is of course too cold to have the energy needed to form a tornado. Also, most of the warmer regions of Alaska are next to the ocean and thus also have no sudden temperature fluctuations.
269335
i must imagine you are talking about vortices, like tornadoes, and hurricane eye walls, however it is a big misconception that the eye of the hurricane is a column, its eyewall is slanted, so it is bigger at the top than at the bottom, it gives you the illusion of being in a football stadium, that is way too huge.  And tornadoes are slightly like that, but mostly they are column like.  So in response to that Columns do rule, If you want to learn more about them you should become a meteorologist and do research on tornadoes and hurricanes, I am working on research on hurricane Katrina.
189136
sure but then again who isnt afraid of something that destructive? you may just have been in shock or somthing. maybe in 9-10 years, learn more about tornadoes so u know more about them and are ready and prepared!
134089
to answer your second question..yes northern hemisphere tornadoes can, although rare, rotate clockwise. Here is a link or two that address both questions.
260642
You obviously have no concept of the energy involved in even a simple thunderstorm. Short of multiple thermo-nuclear bombs, there is no feasible way to deliver the energy necessary to match even a strong tropical depression. Oh, and then there is the problem of controlling the result. \n\nUntil scientists can predict the weather accurately, there is no way they can control it.\n\nAs to Tsunami's, these are not a weather event but rather the result of a earthquake. In the realm of large energy releases, this type of event makes the biggest hurricane seems like a hiccup.
302830
Global warming is definately here! Just take a look at all the weird weather going on. First, the number of hurricanes and tornadoes is getting higher and higher each year and not only that but they are becoming stronger. Hurricanes are gaining intensity each year and tornadoes are becoming a very frequent thing where I live. The reason the hurricanes and tornadoes are becoming more and more frequent is because any time you add heat to a tornado or hurricane they gain strength. You can see that global warming is here because the ocean waters are getting warmer, causing sea levels to rise from melting poles and because of this category 2 and 3 hurricanes are almost non existant. They are all at least category fours. Hope that helped!
294045
I have. I took pictures of this one that came right by my house. This tornado was in Tennesse so it was big for us down here. Also a few years ago a twister came through part of my town and destroyed the school i was going to. Since my town is so small and my school is so small we had class in our courthouse.
4851
Actually, scientists understand a lot about tornadoes, but cannot completely predict them because they happen on such a micro-scale compared to other weather phenomenae.  Scientists can predict when conditions are favorable for tornadic activity (like when a tornado warning is issued), but can't predict excatly where one will occur until moments before hand.
612284
Typhoons and hurricanes are the same type of storm - a tropical cyclone - just in different parts of the world.\n\nHowever... typhoons - which affect the western Pacific ocean - tend to be stronger than Atlantic hurricanes because the waters are warmer.
290439
I love to watch them on tv. I love a thunderstorm near my house. Never been in a tornado or hurricane but they look really scary on tv. I think I would be very scared if I had to go thru a tornado of hurricane. We had a tropical storm one time with winds up to 70 mph. It was awful and lasted all night. I was so worried about the trees crashing on my house. They didn't but the ones in the far back fell. The house shook.
13606
What causes tornadoes?\n\nThunderstorms develop in warm, moist air in advance of eastward-moving cold fronts. These thunderstorms often produce large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. Tornadoes in the winter and early spring are often associated with strong, frontal systems that form in the Central States and move east. Occasionally, large outbreaks of tornadoes occur with this type of weather pattern. Several states may be affected by numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.\n \nDuring the spring in the Central Plains, thunderstorms frequently develop along a "dryline," which separates very warm, moist air to the east from hot, dry air to the west. Tornado-producing thunderstorms may form as the dryline moves east during the afternoon hours. \nAlong the front range of the Rocky Mountains, in the Texas panhandle, and in the southern High Plains, thunderstorms frequently form as air near the ground flows "upslope" toward higher terrain. If other favorable conditions exist, these thunderstorms can produce tornadoes.\n\nTornadoes occasionally accompany tropical storms and hurricanes that move over land. Tornadoes are most common to the right and ahead of the path of the storm center as it comes onshore.
262819
Yea, i heard about it once i was old enough to understand what a typhoon actually does.\nHAVE A NICE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :}
127770
tornado begins in a severe thunderstorm called a supercell. A supercell can last longer than a regular thunderstorm. The same property that keeps the storm going also produces most tornadoes. The wind coming into the storm starts to swirl and forms a funnel. The air in the funnel spins faster and faster and creates a very low pressure area which sucks more air (and possibly objects) into it. \n\nThe severe thunderstorms which produce tornadoes form where cold dry polar air meets warm moist tropical air. This is most common in a section of the United States called Tornado Alley. Also, the atmosphere needs to be very unstable. \n\nTornadoes can form any time during the year, but most form in May. But, more severe ones form earlier because the most damge is caused in April. The more north you go, the later the peak tornado season is. This is because it takes longer to warm the northern parts of the plains so tornadoes form later. \n\nMost tornadoes spin cyclonically but a few spin anticyclonically. Because there are records of anticyclonic tornadoes, scientists don't think that the Coriolis Effect causes the rotations.