Real-life Geography: American tornadoes! What is a tornado and how do they form?

Tornados are funnel-shaped clouds that form under thunderclouds and contain rapidly rotating air. How a tornado is formed: Need intense or unseasonable heat As ground temperature increase, moist air heats and starts to rise When the warm moist air meets cold dry air it explodes upwards A storm quickly develops The movement of the air becomes rapid and the winds from different directions cause it to rotate A visible cone or funnel drops out towards the ground How do they differ from hurricanes? Tornados are formed on land from different air fronts whereas hurricanes are formed over warm water Tornados are a lot smaller and shorter than hurricanes What is happening in Midwest USA at the moment? Fast moving storm system has triggered multiple tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana At least 4 have been killed and 40 injured Storms are moving at 60mph Winds up to 111kmh Is this area usually affected by tornadoes? This area is usually affected by tornadoes but not at this time of year. Why? Because there is: Strong instability Large vertical wind shear Humid air from Mexico Where in the USA is usually affected by tornadoes?

Tornado alley is most affected by tornadoes. Its core is northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Why? It is so prone to tornadoes as it is where there are the perfect conditions for tornados. With cold dry air from the north, warm dry air from the south west and warm moist air from Mexico, it has the perfect conditions and there is also a jet stream passing through.