Twister
( UPSC Prelims)
News Context
Violently spinning at speeds of 250 miles per hour, these funnel-shaped columns of air extend from dark thunderclouds down to the ground.
● Recent Occurrence: USA
● Formation: These phenomena develop when moist and warm air collides with dry and cold air, leading to atmospheric instability and creating strong updrafts within a thunderstorm.
○ The resulting wind shear causes the air to spin, and if this rotation is tilted vertically and intensifies, a tornado (or twister) forms.
○ The majority are formed around the Gulf of Mexico, which acts as a large source of moisture.