Tornados and hurricanes are very destructive and furious. They are both stormy atmospheric systems caused due to instability in atmospheric conditions. Depending on severity and region of stormy conditions, these storms are called typhoons or tropical cyclones. Hurricanes are frequent is North Atlantic Ocean, Northeast Pacific ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The regions are mainly tropical zone and the warm waters in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. Tornados are found in every continent except for Antarctica.
The frequency of hurricane is 10 to 15 in a year but the number of Tornados occurring range from 1200 tornados per year and it is even higher in Netherlands. In Atlantic Ocean, frequency of hurricanes is five to six times a year and Caribbean is another major area for many hurricanes. Some develop off the west coast of Africa and reaches Atlantic Ocean and some of these systems become tropical storms whereas some do not. Nine tropical storms are formed each year of which five gaining hurricane strength. Countries having frequent tornados are Paraguay, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Argentina and Europe. They occur usually in spring and fall season and are not seen much in winters.
Tornados are so disastrous that they can even destroy large buildings and can even lift 20 tonnes of railroad cars from the tracks. The fact is Science is not able to find out the how tornados are form and why they keep returning. Usually tornadoes are formed several feet above the earth’s surface inside rigorous rotating thunderstorm. Tornado starts like a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud expanding from a thunderstorm cloud base. Hurricane is a disastrous tropical cyclone with sustained winds exceeding speed of 74mph along with rain, thunder and lightning.
The exact effect of global warming on atmosphere is although not known, however some theories suggest that global warming will increase the frequency of occurring storms. Global warming is one of the main reason affecting climatic events including these two. Infact they become more frequent and powerful with warming temperatures thereby posing threat to lives and property. This is because at warm temperatures, climate systems get more energy since land surfaces get heated up quicker than oceans.
As per Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change, global warming is responsible for increase in the incidence of extreme events like tornados and hurricanes. Global temperature is increasing day by day resulting in significant changes in precipitation patterns. Precipitation is the most in high altitude region, which decreases in subtropical land regions and it is most likely that hear waves, hot extremes, heavy precipitation events will occur more frequently.
In view of the frequent tornados and hurricanes, it is required from each one of us to take initiative to handle such situations. Considering the fact that many countries are incapable of bearing impact of weather events like hurricanes and tornados, it is better to get prepared by planning the communities, improved design of buildings and infrastructure and manage our resources in an efficient way. Initiative taken today will reduce the factors like global warming etc. responsible for events like hurricane or tornado. It is far better to be vigilant beforehand than to suffer the consequences.