Tornadoes Facts for Kids – 5 Terrific Facts about Tornadoes

Have you ever wondered how can we know when a tornado is coming? Here are five terrific tornadoes facts for kids.

Tornadoes Facts for Kids Fact Number 1: Tornadoes are more likely to happen at certain times of day

Some people are early birds and like to get up early but tornadoes are most likely to happen in the late afternoon. They are most likely to happen between 3pm and 9pm. This is because tornadoes are caused by cold air meeting hot air during thunderstorms. The air is warmest in the afternoon meaning that tornadoes are able to form more easily.

Tornadoes Facts for Kids Fact Number 2: Tornadoes are cause winds that can get up to 300mph

A tornado is also called a twister as it spins around at such high speed. When hot air and cold air meet they cause winds that are super-fast. The winds caused by tornadoes can be up to 300 miles per hour which is faster than the fastest race cars in the world. The winds are so fast they can take the roofs off of houses and lift cars.

Some tornadoes are even strong enough to lift houses and place them back down miles away.

Tornadoes Facts for Kids Fact Number 3: Tornadoes usually only last 10 minutes

Unlike hurricanes which last a long time tornadoes are short. They usually last around 10 minutes and are only part of a larger thunder storm. Sometimes they only last a few seconds and sometimes they last as long as an hour. Even though they are only there for a short time they travel around 3 and a half miles.

Tornadoes Facts for Kids Fact Number 4: Tornadoes are invisible until they pick up dirt

You have probably seen photos of tornadoes that look brown or look like a cone of clouds. These are all tornadoes but when tornadoes firs form they are invisible. They are simply spinning air which you cannot see but when they hit the ground they pick up dust, dirt, and all sorts of things. This means they become brown because of all the debris.

How do we know a tornado is starting if we cant see it?

The clouds in the sky might turn green, a dust cloud may start because of the air moving above it in the air, or you will probably hear it. Tornadoes are loud and sounds like a train passing nearby because of the strong winds.

Tornadoes Facts for Kids Fact Number 5: Tornadoes can also form over the sea

Tornadoes don’t just happen on land but also on the sea and can cause damage to boats and the coastline if they get too close. When they form on the ocean they are called waterspouts. Waterspouts have been observed by sailors for hundreds of years and they can be seen in drawings from history. Some sailors in the 18^th and 19^th century thought that shooting a cannon into a waterspout would cause it to stop. We now know that its best to stay away from them.

We hope you enjoyed learning more things about tornadoes as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic these tornadoes are, you can move on to learn about other climate and weather stuff like: Thunder, Thunderstorms, Thunder and Lightning, Rainbows, Lightning, Floods, Earth’s Atmosphere, Hurricanes, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Tornadoes, Blizzard, Wind and Tsunamis.

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