A tornado is a strong, short-lived, spiral air cloud that produces winds at very high speeds. It is one of the most destructive types of storm, causing massive property damage and sometimes loss of life. A tornado is usually caused by strong gusts of air in a large storm column, creating a vortex around an axial axis. It is accompanied by heavy rain and lightning, which can lead to fires or other damage. Just such printable coloring pages related to this weather phenomenon can be found here.
U.S. tornado alley
The US is one of the most active regions in the world when it comes to tornadoes. Tornadoes mainly occur in the north-central states, at least from Alabama to Iowa and often further west. The most active months of the year are April, May and June.
Tornadoes mainly affect rural areas, not cities. They usually occur along the pressure lines of possible storm cloud transit, as well as along the lines of moisture zones. A typical tornado is a few meters to a few kilometers wide and can produce winds of up to 500 kilometers per hour.
The world's largest tornado occurred in Canada in Elie, Manitoba. The tornado reached a width of 2.6 million meters and recorded top wind speeds of up to 504 kilometers per hour. The tornado caused severe damage to a nearby town, and authorities had to move residents out for the duration.
Tornadoes trivia
- Tornadoes can move at speeds from 3 to 120 miles per hour.
- Tornadoes don't have to have a spinning motion.
- The largest tornado on record is named "Tornado Beast" and appeared in the southwestern United States in September 2007.
- In the United States, tornadoes can occur in any state, but the most active region is the Northwest.
