Tornado in Algeria

[Godobeyer]

Hello all

After snow drop in some areas few days ago,it's very rare in this time of year.


Yesterday we had Tornado , maybe it's first time happened in Algeria in that size!
location : State of Batna.14/04/2018

 

[PureX]

"Global warming" means that there is more energy in the Earth's atmosphere, causing the weather to become more extreme. A couple degree rise in temperature would be mostly unnoticeable, but the increase in phenomenal extremes does get our attention.

 

[YmirGF]

"Global warming" means that there is more energy in the Earth's atmosphere, causing the weather to become more extreme. A couple degree rise in temperature would be mostly unnoticeable, but the increase in phenomenal extremes does get our attention.

While true it deftly ignores the simple fact that tornadoes can form virtually anywhere in the world and that has always been the case.

 

[Father Heathen]

While true it deftly ignores the simple fact that tornadoes can form virtually anywhere in the world and that has always been the case.

Sure, but increase in frequency is notable.

 

[YmirGF]

Sure, but increase in frequency is notable.

One rare tornado? Seriously?

 

[PureX]

While true it deftly ignores the simple fact that tornadoes can form virtually anywhere in the world and that has always been the case.

No, they really cannot. The weather conditions that create them do not occur in many of the Earth's latitudes. (Though this has nothing to do with my point about global warming increasing the amount of energy in the Earth's atmosphere.)

 

[YmirGF]

No, they really cannot. The weather conditions that create them do not occur in many of the Earth's latitudes.

And you are quite wrong. I have studied tornado activity/formation for over four decades. I do know what I am talking about. Other than the Antarctic and Far north, tornadoes can and do form over most of the Earth's surface. Virtually every country in the world has reports of tornadic/supercell activity. I will agree that in many locations supercell formation is not likely. That does not mean it cannot happen if the conditions are right such as the case given by our good friend @Godobeyer with the recent Algerian tornado. Personally, I was horrified how close they were to it. They really didn't understand the danger they were in. If you can see debris in the air -- you are too close.

 

[YmirGF]

Hello all

After snow drop in some areas few days ago,it's very rare in this time of year.


Yesterday we had Tornado , maybe it's first time happened in Algeria in that size!
location : State of Batna.14/04/2018

Thank you for sharing this, my friend. My heart goes out to the poor people who didn't understand the danger they were in and how lucky they were that it seemed to graze past them.

 

[Drizzt Do'Urden]

And you are quite wrong. I have studied tornado activity/formation for over four decades. I do know what I am talking about. Other than the Antarctic and Far north, tornadoes can and do form over most of the Earth's surface. Virtually every country in the world has reports of tornadic/supercell activity. I will agree that in many locations supercell formation is not likely. That does not mean it cannot happen if the conditions are right such as the case given by our good friend @Godobeyer with the recent Algerian tornado. Personally, I was horrified how close they were to it. They really didn't understand the danger they were in. If you can see debris in the air -- you are too close.

Doesn't Algeria experience lots of dust devils and such? What is the major difference between a nado and a dust devil other than size?

Maybe this is just the same forces that create dust devils, but on a larger scale.

Isn't Algeria close to the Atlas Mts which can and do cause weather phenomena?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Sure, but increase in frequency is notable.

Frequency? They've had it in the past lately?

 

[YmirGF]

Doesn't Algeria experience lots of dust devils and such? What is the major difference between a nado and a dust devil other than size?

Maybe this is just the same forces that create dust devils, but on a larger scale.

Isn't Algeria close to the Atlas Mts which can and do cause weather phenomena?

@Godobeyer would be a better person to put these questions to as he lives in Algeria. I'm not up on my Algerian topography.

 

[Drizzt Do'Urden]

@Godobeyer would be a better person to put these questions to as he lives in Algeria. I'm not up on my Algerian topography.

Well, you said you're pretty up on tornados and such... What about the other question?

Aren't dust devils just an infant version of a tornado? Do dust devils grow into nados or is the process different being that dust devils form from the ground while nados form from the sky?

 

[Godobeyer]

Doesn't Algeria experience lots of dust devils and such? What is the major difference between a nado and a dust devil other than size?

Maybe this is just the same forces that create dust devils, but on a larger scale.

Isn't Algeria close to the Atlas Mts which can and do cause weather phenomena?

Yes,we do have dust devils.

In this size, we never experience it before , I am pretty sure.

I don't know about phenomena weather,it's rare recently snow drop in Sahara desert, and also 2 days ago ,it's drop.it's spring time,supposely hot bit.

 

[YmirGF]

Well, you said you're pretty up on tornados and such... What about the other question?

Aren't dust devils just an infant version of a tornado? Do dust devils grow into nados or is the process different being that dust devils form from the ground while nados form from the sky?

They look similar from the ground but are quite different in formation. For example, dust devils often form without any cloud cover overhead and though slightly unusual can form in a city centre, a field or whatever. Tornadoes require several additional elements to form and even with the formation of a supercell there is no guarantee that a tornado will form.

Dust devil - Wikipedia

For example, I live in an area that is not conducive to tornadic development. A few years back, we had a violent thunderstorm. A supercell passed over our area. Mom and I stood on the back porch as the huge Douglas Firs whipped back and forth. I fully expected to see some snap, they were snapping back and forth so violently. It was then I went, "OMG!" I saw the pine needles, that filled the air, were going in two different directions. In the bottom of the garden they went left to right whereas the needles directly in front of us (and pelting us) were coming from the opposite direction. I concluded we were in a very weak vortex as it was plain to see this. The pine needles were visibly spiraling around right in front of our eyes and moving together across the yard. The width of the invisible "funnel" was perhaps 100 feet and the wind was about 50 mph. So, not a tornado, but about 1/2 of what an EF0 tornado. We had no damage but the garden furniture and tools in the yard were blown about. It was pretty freaky.

 

[Drizzt Do'Urden]

They look similar from the ground but are quite different in formation. For example, dust devils often form without any cloud cover overhead and though slightly unusual can form in a city centre, a field or whatever. Tornadoes require several additional elements to form and even with the formation of a supercell there is no guarantee that a tornado will form.

Dust devil - Wikipedia

For example, I live in an area that is not conducive to tornadic development. A few years back, we had a violent thunderstorm. A supercell passed over our area. Mom and I stood on the back porch as the huge Douglas Firs whipped back and forth. I fully expected to see some snap, they were snapping back and forth so violently. It was then I went, "OMG!" I saw the pine needles, that filled the air, were going in two different directions. In the bottom of the garden they went left to right whereas the needles directly in front of us (and pelting us) were coming from the opposite direction. I concluded we were in a very weak vortex as it was plain to see this. The pine needles were visibly spiraling around right in front of our eyes and moving together across the yard. The width of the invisible "funnel" was perhaps 100 feet and the wind was about 50 mph. So, not a tornado, but about 1/2 of what an EF0 tornado. We had no damage but the garden furniture and tools in the yard were blown about. It was pretty freaky.

I always just figured they were the same processes on different scales.

I seem to recall seeing video of a tornado in Miami, I admit I could just be imagining this happened, where there was definitely cloud cover and a storm of sorts was in progress, but what was weird was the tornado began as a water spout from the ocean. In other words, while clouds were above, you didn't see any indication that a tornado was beginning to form from the cloud itself, a water spout just formed about a mile off the beach first and slowly began creeping up to the cloud and joining with it.

Typically, tornados form from the cloud and then touch down... I don't know. Thanks for the response.

 

[YmirGF]

I always just figured they were the same processes on different scales.

I seem to recall seeing video of a tornado in Miami, I admit I could just be imagining this happened, where there was definitely cloud cover and a storm of sorts was in progress, but what was weird was the tornado began as a water spout from the ocean. In other words, while clouds were above, you didn't see any indication that a tornado was beginning to form from the cloud itself, a water spout just formed about a mile off the beach first and slowly began creeping up to the cloud and joining with it.

Typically, tornadoes form from the cloud and then touch down... I don't know. Thanks for the response.

You have to keep in mind that in the initial stages the column of rotating air is not visible. This is a devastating aspect of many larger tornadoes in that you can see the main column but do not notice the little (by contrast) funnels that snake out and around the main column -- often at some distance from the epicenter.

My favorite storm chaser is Pecos Hank and this is a very good video he put up a few months back.