The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the number of tornadoes seen since 1950 has gone up. But experts say this is mostly because of better technology, like Doppler radar. There has not been an increase in big tornadoes over time.
Victor Gensini, a weather expert, says it’s best to think that climate change affects all tornadoes. Start from the idea that every extreme event is being affected by climate change,” he says. Tornadoes form when warm, wet air is under cool, dry air.
The warm air rises into the cooler air. Wind shear can make this rising air spin and create a tornado. A warmer climate could provide more energy to power tornadoes.
It’s not clear how climate change will affect the winds that help form tornadoes. Warmer weather may reduce wind shear, which could weaken the jet stream winds.
Jeff Masters, a meteorologist, says more heat usually means more energy, which could lead to bigger tornado outbreaks. A 2016 study found that single storms have been making more tornadoes since 1954.
But it’s hard to study tornadoes.
Climate change and tornado dynamics
In the past, small tornadoes were more challenging to see.
One of Gensini’s studies looked at supercells. These are big rotating storm cells that can make hail and deadly tornadoes. The study said supercells might increase in the east and decrease in the Great Plains.
They may happen more outside the typical storm season. A 2018 study saw tornadoes moving from west of the Mississippi River to states east of it, like Kentucky and Arkansas. Gensini said this could be caused by climate change or natural changes.
If tornado hotspots move to areas with more people, they could cause more damage and deaths. Americans have gotten better at reducing the impact of tornadoes thanks to better weather forecasting and warning systems.
However, how communities are built affects how much damage happens. Stephen Strader, a geographer, said one simple solution is to improve how mobile homes are anchored to the ground. This could save many lives.
In summary, there’s strong evidence that climate change impacts tornadoes. However, more research is needed to know exactly how. Communities can protect themselves better by improving building standards and improving forecasting technology.
Image Credits: Photo by NOAA on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
