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Thunderstorms are the result of instability, which occurs when the lower atmosphere is warm and moist but temperature drops fairly rapidly with increasing height. Under these conditions air that is set rising will continue to rise. As it rises it cools , causing the moisture in it to condense and form a towering cumulonimbus cloud and then rain. Collisions between water droplets and ice crystals in the cold upper reaches of the storm creates static electricity that discharges as lightning, which produces a loud sound we call thunder. Thunderstorms need some sort of lifting mechanism to trigger them. Often it comes in the form of a weather front, but can come from a lake or sea breeze or interaction with the topography. Any rainstorm that produces thunder and lightning is considered a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms frequently produce heavy rain and can produce strong wind, hail, and tornadoes.

Hurricanes develop when an area of low pressure and disturbed weather, called a tropical disturbance, moves over warm ocean water. The warm, moist air from the water fuels thunderstorms. The rising air of the storms causes the pressure to drop, which then draws in more warm air to fuel the thunderstorms and increases the speed of the wind. As a consequence of Earth's spin the system will start to rotate. Through this cycle the disturbance becomes stronger and more organized. When the sustained winds of the organized circulation reach 74 miles per hour the system is considered a hurricane. A hurricane is an intense tropical cyclone characterized by strong winds, torrential rain, and large waves. Most hurricanes have a calm area at the center called the eye of the storm.

Tornadoes occur when strong thunderstorms encounter wind shear, a difference in wind speed and direction with altitude. Wind shear has two effects on thunderstorm cells. First, it separates the updraft and downdraft portions of the storm. This separation prevents rain-cooled air from choking off the updraft, an occurrence that brings about the end of an ordinary thunderstorm within 30 minutes. This new kind of storm can last for hours. Second, the wind shear sets the storm rotating. Most of the rotation is within an area of the storm called the mesocyclone. Under the right conditions a downdraft can wrap around the mesocyclone, causing it to tighten and intensify to form a tornado. Tornadoes are small but violent rotating storms that connect to both the ground and the cloud base of a thunderstorm. Air rapidly spirals windward and upward. Most tornadoes are made visible by a combination of a funnel of condensed moisture and a cloud of dust and debris kicked up by the winds.

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Q: What are the causes and characteristics of thunderstorms hurricanes and tornadoes?
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Do people think tornadoes and hurricanes the same?

No, tornadoes and hurricanes are not the same. Tornadoes are localized, violent windstorms with a narrow path of destruction, while hurricanes are large, rotating storm systems that form over tropical waters and can cover a wide area. Both are dangerous weather phenomena but have different causes and characteristics.


Can a tornado mix with a hurricane?

No, tornadoes and hurricanes are distinct weather events with different causes and characteristics. Tornadoes are small, intense columns of rotating air that form in severe thunderstorms, while hurricanes are large, organized storm systems that develop over warm ocean waters. While they can occur in the same general area during a hurricane, they do not combine or mix.


Which way do hurricanes and tornadoes rotate in the Northern Hemisphere?

In the Northern Hemisphere, hurricanes and tornadoes typically rotate counterclockwise. This is due to the Coriolis effect, which causes moving air to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.


Does lightning kill more people than Hurricanes or tornadoes?

No, lightning typically kills fewer people than hurricanes or tornadoes. On average, lightning causes around 30-60 deaths per year in the United States, while hurricanes and tornadoes can cause hundreds of deaths in a single event.


What kind of thunderstorm causes a tornado?

A supercell thunderstorm has the potential to produce tornadoes. These are large, severe thunderstorms characterized by a rotating updraft that can create the conditions necessary for tornado formation.

Related questions

Do people think tornadoes and hurricanes the same?

No, tornadoes and hurricanes are not the same. Tornadoes are localized, violent windstorms with a narrow path of destruction, while hurricanes are large, rotating storm systems that form over tropical waters and can cover a wide area. Both are dangerous weather phenomena but have different causes and characteristics.


What are 2 main causes of tornadoes?

Ultimately, the two primary causes of tornadoes are convective instability, which leads to thunderstorms, and wind shear, which gives those storms the rotation they need to produce tornadoes.


Can a tornado mix with a hurricane?

No, tornadoes and hurricanes are distinct weather events with different causes and characteristics. Tornadoes are small, intense columns of rotating air that form in severe thunderstorms, while hurricanes are large, organized storm systems that develop over warm ocean waters. While they can occur in the same general area during a hurricane, they do not combine or mix.


Which way do hurricanes and tornadoes rotate in the Northern Hemisphere?

In the Northern Hemisphere, hurricanes and tornadoes typically rotate counterclockwise. This is due to the Coriolis effect, which causes moving air to be deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.


Natural causes that may change an environment on Earth?

forest fire,hurricanes and tornadoes


What type of system causes a tornado?

Tornadoes are produced by thunderstorms, which are generally associated with low pressure systems.


What is both an example of a tornado and hurricane?

There is no such example. Tornadoes and hurricanes have a few things in common, but they are different phenomena with different causes and dynamics. However, many hurricanes have spawned tornadoes. Hurricane Ivan holds the record for having produced 117 tornadoes.


Does lightning kill more people than Hurricanes or tornadoes?

No, lightning typically kills fewer people than hurricanes or tornadoes. On average, lightning causes around 30-60 deaths per year in the United States, while hurricanes and tornadoes can cause hundreds of deaths in a single event.


What kind of thunderstorm causes a tornado?

A supercell thunderstorm has the potential to produce tornadoes. These are large, severe thunderstorms characterized by a rotating updraft that can create the conditions necessary for tornado formation.


Why do tornadoes in the US occur in the spring?

It is during the spring that there are may collisions between warm air and cold air. This causes thunderstorms which in turn can produce tornadoes.


Does the catastrophe have weather geologic or hurricanes cause of a tornado?

Tornadoes are produced by weather patterns. This can include hurricanes. Other catestrophes may have different causes.


The movement of air mass over earth's surface causes?

The movement of air mass over Earth's surface causes changes in weather patterns, including the formation of high and low pressure systems, wind patterns, and precipitation. These movements can lead to the development of storms, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms.