Phys.org June 27, 2024 Central North America is the global hotspot for tornadoes, fueled by elevated terrain of the Rockies to the west and a source of warm, moist air from equatorward oceans. Based on this theory central South America, with the Andes to the west and Amazon basin to the north, should have a “tornado alley” at least as active as central North America. Central South America has frequent severe thunderstorms yet relatively few tornadoes. According to a team of researchers in the US (Purdue University, National Center for Atmospheric Researchers, (Boulder, CO), Stony Brook University, Colorado State University) […]
Tag Archives: Tornadoes
Researchers rise to challenge of predicting hail, tornadoes three weeks in advance
Science Daily November 28, 2018 A team of researchers in the US (Colorado State University, Stoney Brook University) used a reliable tropical weather pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation, which can influence weather in distant parts of the Earth, to demonstrate the ability to make skillful predictions of severe weather across the Plains and southeastern United States, including hail and tornadoes, in 2-to-5-weeks-in-advance period. They validated their predictions using available datasets looking at what the Madden-Julian Oscillation was doing about three weeks ahead of severe weather in these areas during the typical severe-weather months of March through June. Although forecasting weeks […]