Tornadoes in India, though rare, have primarily been reported in the eastern states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand during the pre-monsoon period.
About tornedos:
- Tornados are a land-based vertical column of violently rotating air that forms from a thunderstorm and extends to the ground.
- They can have wind speeds ranging from 105 to 322 kilometres per hour, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) of the United States.
- They can either remain stationary or move at speeds of around 97 km/h.
- They are the most common in the United States, Argentina and Bangladesh.
- They are rare in India and have primarily been reported in the eastern states of West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand during the pre-monsoon period.
- Factors such as a warming Bay of Bengal and anomalous wind patterns may contribute to this trend.
Formation:
- They form when specific combinations of winds, including instability and wind shear, occur within a thunderstorm.
- They form when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air, causing the denser cold air to push over the warm air.
- The warm air then rises through the colder air, creating an updraft that begins to rotate if winds vary in speed or direction at different heights.
- The spinning currents start out horizontal, but can turn vertical and drop down from the cloud, becoming a tornado.
Difference between Tropical Cyclones and Tornadoes:
| Aspect | Tropical Cyclones | Tornadoes |
| Formation | Form over warm ocean waters near the equator. Require warm sea surface temperatures, moist air, and relatively calm atmospheric conditions. | Develop from severe thunderstorms. Form where warm, moist air collides with cold, dry air, creating atmospheric instability. |
| Size | Large-scale weather systems spanning hundreds of miles in diameter. Well-defined circulation pattern with spiral bands surrounding an eye. | Smaller in scale, with some reaching over a mile in diameter. Narrow and intense with a relatively small path of destruction. |
| Duration | Can last for several days to weeks, influenced by environmental factors such as sea surface temperatures and wind shear. | Typically last for only a few minutes to an hour. Exceptionally long-lived tornadoes can persist for longer periods. |
| Impact | Can cause widespread devastation through strong winds, heavy rainfall leading to flooding, storm surges, and spawned tornadoes. | Produce extremely high wind speeds and intense localized damage. Known for destroying buildings, uprooting trees, and tossing vehicles. |
Other key facts:
About nor’wester:
- A nor’wester is a localized thunderstorm and rainfall event that occurs in India and Bangladesh during the summer.
- They are also known as a kalbaisakhi in Assam.
- They are characterized by sudden, fierce bursts of hot winds that approach a station from the northwest.
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