Video · 1:07
How do giant tornadoes actually start spinning?
Giant tornadoes start spinning when cool, dry wind rushes over rising warm air, making the air roll horizontally like a giant rolling pin. A strong wind shooting up inside a dark storm cloud catches this rolling tube and tilts it straight up. As the tilted air spins tighter and faster, a cloudy funnel stretches all the way down to the ground.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key facts
- Warm, sticky air rises quickly into the sky after the sun heats the ground.
- Cool, dry wind blowing over the warm air causes it to roll like a giant rolling pin.
- A strong upward wind inside a storm cloud tilts the rolling tube of air upright.
- The spinning air speeds up and narrows, much like a spinning ice skater.
- A giant tornado can lift a truck like a tiny toy and blow away everything in its path.
Questions people also ask
What causes the rolling tube of air to tilt upright?
A strong wind shooting straight up inside a giant storm cloud catches the rolling air and tilts it vertically.
What does a tornado look like as it spins faster?
As the air spins tighter and faster, it resembles a spinning ice skater before forming a cloudy funnel that reaches the ground.
How powerful can a giant tornado be?
A giant tornado is strong enough to lift a truck like a tiny toy and blow away everything in its path.
What the video says
How does a sunny afternoon make a giant tornado? The sun heats the grassy ground. Warm, sticky air quickly rises into the sky.
A cool, dry wind rushes by high above. It blows right over the warm air. The air starts rolling like a giant rolling pin.
A giant dark storm cloud suddenly covers the sky. A strong wind shoots straight up inside the cloud. It catches the rolling tube of air.
This strong wind tilts the rolling air straight up. The air spins tighter and faster. It looks just like a spinning ice skater.
A cloudy funnel forms in the spinning wind. It stretches all the way down to the ground. The amazing whirlwind dance finally begins.
The giant tornado sweeps across the fields. It can lift a truck like a tiny toy. It blows away everything in its path.
