Birth of a Tornado

tornaEver wonder how tornadoes--one of the most awe-inspiring weather disturbances--start out? Watch this cool video of a tornado in its beginning stages:Birth of a Tornado! From seemingly nothing, dust from the earth begins to form a distorted cloud, and eventually becomes a gigantic, violent swirl of debris. It all begins when rainfall drags with it an area of quick-descending air, which approaches the ground. It would appear as if a part of the cloud is extending downwards to the earth, and most people would mistake that for the tornado itself--but it's not. The quickly-descending air is what causes most of the destruction, and is the main feature of this type of weather formation. Watching a tornado form might be one of the most amazing things that you can witness. But don't be caught unprepared; tornadoes are deadly and can strike without warning.