Hurricanes and tornadoes... when one of these and similar names appears in the news, we know there is no good news. After all, they cause very strong winds that are capable of tearing down trees and houses, dragging people and animals, destroying entire cities and leaving a great trail of destruction!
But after all,what is the difference between hurricane and tornado?
The difference between tornado and drilling it lies in the intensity, speed and coverage area. In a figurative sense, we can imagine hurricanes as big and “slow”, while tornadoes would be smaller and faster.
You hurricanes – which, when they occur in the eastern region of the Pacific Ocean, are called Typhoons – are large columns of revolving air, with winds that usually reach more than 120 km/h and a diameter that can reach an incredible 400 km in length!
It is only possible to see an entire hurricane, from start to finish, through satellite images, as shown in the figure below. Looking up close, you can only see a part of it.
Hurricanes and typhoons hit areas much larger than tornadoes
already the tornadoes they are much smaller, as they are, on average, a mile in diameter, and can be seen in their entirety if we look closely (see the image below). Its winds, however, are more destructive, as they can reach speeds in excess of 500 km/h, although there may be some slower.
Tornadoes are smaller, but have much stronger winds than hurricanes
In addition to these differences, it is noteworthy that hurricanes appear in the oceans and sometimes reach the continents. Tornadoes, on the contrary, appear in continental areas, because when they form in the oceans, they are called waterspouts.
Finally, remember that tornadoes and hurricanes are classified as types of tropical cyclones, which are those that manifest between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Besides them, there can also be extratropical cyclones, which can also be very strong and fast.
In Brazil, the presence of tornadoes is more common, rather than hurricanes, and they occur mainly in the South region, affecting the state of Santa Catarina to a greater extent. There are several cases of cities or parts of them being deeply affected by strong winds from tornadoes, because, as they are stronger than hurricanes and typhoons, they can cause more damage, even if that damage is in one area. smaller.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
