Kentucky hit with a devastating tornado: How and why do tornadoes occur?

A host of deadly tornadoes recently hit the American state of Kentucky, with officials reporting over 70 deaths. The death count is expected to rise further with over 100 people still missing. These tornadoes affected several other Southern states like Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and some parts of Mississippi. However, the worst damage was seen in Western Kentucky, specifically in the area of Mayfield. Videos and images circulating online showed how buildings were reduced to rubble, with cars being submerged under the debris. These tornadoes emerged as a result of intense thunderstorms that occurred during the preceding night. Here is all you need to know about how and why tornadoes occur.  

What is a tornado? 
The word ‘tornado’ is derived from the Latin word “tonare” which translates to “to thunder.” A tornado is characterised by a narrow column of air which rotates violently. It extends from a thunderstorm to the surface of the earth and is also referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone. Due to the fact that wind is invisible, tornadoes can only be seen if a condensation funnel made out of debris, dust and water droplets is formed. They can potentially be some of the most violent and devasting natural disasters with extreme ones attaining a speed of more than 480 km/hour.  

How does a tornado occur? 
There are multiple triggers behind a tornado. However, all are caused due to a fundamental parent storm referred to as a supercell thunderstorm. Unlike other storms, these ones have a spinning vortex of air present in the centre. This vortex tends to tilt, thus drawing in warm air and moisture and releasing cold air downwards as the storm grows bigger. As a consequence of this, more humid air gets forced upwards. The vortex then increases in size and starts spinning into a wild funnel. This is how a tornado is born. 

Can tornadoes be detected? 
The formation process of a tornado occurs in a matter of minutes. Thus, it is difficult to know that one is brewing before actually seeing it. The ability to predict a tornado is limited even for experts and meteorologists. It is possible for them to find out the temperature between a storm and the earth’s surface. However, they cannot predict the size, intensity, timing or location of the tornado.