How do tornadoes form and what are their effects?

Tornadoes are powerful, rotating columns of air that are in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are typically produced by thunderstorms and can be extremely destructive.

Tornadoes form when there is a strong updraft of warm, moist air that interacts with cooler, drier air. The air masses start to rotate around a horizontal axis, and if the conditions are right, the rotating air can tilt into a vertical position. This creates a rotating column of air that extends from the cloud to the ground, and this is what we know as a tornado.

Tornadoes can have devastating effects, including damaging or destroying buildings, uprooting trees, and hurling debris through the air. They can also be deadly, with winds that can exceed 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world, but they are most common in the United States, particularly in a region known as Tornado Alley, which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.