Tornadoes are narrow, rapidly spinning columns of air reaching down from a storm cloud.

The longer version

A tornado forms when rotation already present in a storm is stretched and tightened. Rising air inside a thunderstorm narrows a spinning region, and just as a spinning figure skater speeds up by pulling in their arms, the narrowed column rotates much faster.

The funnel becomes visible when pressure drops enough for water vapor to condense into cloud, or when dust and debris are drawn up from below. Most are short-lived and narrow, though a few grow wide and last far longer. Their parent storms are usually the strongly rotating type known as supercells, with a deep and persistent updraught.

Where this entry sits

Clouds, wind, rain, and storms shape daily life in ways that most people barely notice. This collection explains snow, lightning, rainbows, the turning seasons, temperature, the instruments forecasters rely on, and scraps of old weather lore. The full list sits on the Weather and Climate page, where every entry is listed in order.