Tornados in the southwest: rare, but not impossible!

Tornados in the southwest: rare, but not impossible!

In the exciting world of natural forces, tornados occupy a particularly fascinating place. These stormy vertebrae, which are often associated with destruction and chaos, are also no stranger in Baden-Württemberg, a region that is not necessarily associated with such phenomena. A remarkable incident occurred near Philippsburg at the beginning of July when a tornado with a width of about 80 meters moved across the landscape.

Jannick Fischer, a meteorology expert, was in the right place at the right time and documented this rare event with his smartphone. "It was a unique experience," recalled Fischer, who filmed the Tornado right in front of his place of residence and trusted the radar pictures that showed him the activity of the storm clouds. According to the meteorologists, this was the only clearly confirmed Tornado of the ongoing tornado season in the region.

tornado statistics in Germany

In Germany, tornados are not exactly classified as a frequent event, but they occur regularly - primarily in the warm months. So far, 32 tornados have been confirmed this year, with an expected annual average number of around 45. This number could even increase, since previous suspected cases are checked by a special tornado working group to determine other confirmed cases that are added to the current status. So far, only eleven suspected cases have been observed in the southwest of the country, while the total number for the past year included two confirmed Tornados near Tübingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald.

The frequency of tornados in Germany is often influenced by the availability of new technologies. Thanks to smartphones and social media, many people are able to document storm situations in real time and spread their pictures. This fact helps us experience greater attention and reporting about tornados and their invisible dangers today. According to Marcus Beyer from the German Weather Service, however, there have been no determinable trends since 2000 that indicate an increase or decrease in tornados. It is considered that the stronger tornadoes, which are favored by the warming of climate, do not necessarily appear more often, but more powerfully.

origin and identification of tornados

The formation of tornados results from the meeting of humid air and dry cold air, which usually leads to violent thunderstorms. If side winds put the rising, moist air into rotation, a swirling cloud hose can develop. This hose becomes a tornado when it touches the ground and can cause devastating damage. But how do you recognize a tornado? The characteristic cloud trunk is a clear sign and helps to determine the direction.

It is not always easy to distinguish tornados from other weather -related phenomena. A hurricane often has different characteristics and does not bring the same kind of destruction and chaos. So what measures should you take? In a tornado, only the safe retreat to an interior - preferably in a basement - and as far away as possible. Cars have to be avoided because they can be easily thrown through the air.

How are tornados measured? This is done via the Fujita scale, the tornados classified from F0 (low wind speeds) to F5 (extreme wind speeds). The Tornado of Philippsburg, which was classified with a strength of F0, bundles wind speeds up to 116 km/h. More intensive tornados, such as the historical incident about Pforzheim in 1968, which reached speeds of up to 400 km/h, are rare and remain in memory.

In the field of tornado research, it is also important to note that most tornadoes only exist for a short time, often only ten minutes, and usually cover routes of a few kilometers. Nevertheless, you can cause devastating damage during this time. In the entire discussion about Tornados, it is ultimately important to take both preventive and reactive measures. Information about tornados is crucial to give citizens the necessary knowledge in affected regions in order to act correctly in an emergency. For more information about the probabilities and the weather behavior regarding tornados in Germany, See the article on www.n-tv.de .