Thunderstorms• Rain• Strong winds• Lightening: forms due to the

attraction of opposite electrical charges

• Thunder

Thunderstorms• Thunderstorms arise when

air near the ground is strongly warmed and rises high into the troposphere.

• As the air rises, it cools and condenses, forming a towering cumulonimbus cloud.

• Eventually some of the cloud droplets become large enough to fall as rain.

Lightning FormationLightning forms due to the attraction of opposite electrical charges

Thunderstorms + Lightening

Tornadoes

Tornado Facts• A tornado is a rotating column of air attached to

a thunderstorm that comes in contact with the ground.

• Winds can reach 300 mph.• Can be more than a mile wide.

• Smallest. Shortest, and most violent storms.• Forms when a thunderstorm meets

high altitude horizontal winds.• Tornadoes are most common in N. America.• Can travel at speeds from 5mph - 70mph.

Tornadoes and Hurricanes

Tornado Strength• F-0: 40-72 mph

– chimney damage, tree branches broken

• F-2: 113-157 mph– considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted

• F-4: 207-260 mph– well-constructed walls leveled, cars thrown, buildings destroyed

• F-5: 261-318 mph– homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, autos thrown as far as 100 meters

States where most Tornadoes occur

1.Texas 6. Iowa2. Oklahoma 7. Missouri3. Kansas 8. Illinois4. Nebraska 9. Indiana5. Colorado 10. South Dakota

*Tornadoes have occurred in all 50 states

F-0 Tornado Damage

F-5 Tornado Damage• Greensburg, KS May 4, 2007

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 2011

2009 Tornado in Wyoming

Tornado Alley

Area where tornados are seen the most in the United States