Tornado

A tornado is a column of air that rotates rapidly and buffets under a convective storm. It touches the surface of the Earth and cumulonimbus and is strong enough to cause damage to the Earth's surface. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes and are often visible as a condensation funnel emerging from the base of the cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath. Most tornadoes have wind speeds of less than 180 km/h, are around 80 m in diameter and travel several kilometres before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can reach wind speeds of more than 480 km/h, have a diameter of more than 5 km and remain on the ground for up to 100 km.