[Ref Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, FAA-H-8083-25B Page 12-23]
Tornadoes is literally the most violent sort of thunderstorm !
Studies show that wind in such a vortex can exceed 200 knots with pressure inside the vortex quite low.
The three (3) common type of tornadoes are:
- “funnel cloud” – if the cloud does not reach the surface (in the mid-air)
- “tornado” – if it touches a land surface
- “waterspout” – if it touches water