A huge tornado appeared in the Samara region

Note that in our country, intense small—sized vortices under clouds, having a vertical and often curved axis, are called tornadoes (from the Old Russian "smrch" - "cloud"). In the West, the name tornado took root (from the Spanish verb "tornar" — "rotate", "twist"). Americans, describing this phenomenon, can use the term "twister" (twister), and Europeans — "blood clot". But in fact, all these names are synonyms and mean the same natural phenomenon with the same mechanism of occurrence.

How does a tornado form?

It is born in a thundercloud and is an atmospheric vortex that descends down in the form of a cloud sleeve, or trunk. Water vapor, evaporating from the warm surface of the land or sea, rises rapidly, twisting at the same time in a spiral. Under the influence of centrifugal force, a sharp drop in air pressure occurs in the tornado, which leads to a decrease in temperature. Water vapor begins to condense below the base of the parent cloud, from which the "trunk" descends. Like a pump, it draws in particles from the surface of the earth or the sea. For this reason, another funnel of spray or dust rises towards us. Connecting, both funnels form a rotating column with the narrowest part in the middle.