This Cloud Screams Danger, Run Away If You See It

Take a look at this ominous dark cloud. Is it rotating? What on Earth is happening here? What you're witnessing is known as a supercell, a type of storm, often a thunderstorm, characterized by an updraft that rotates around a vertical axis. That's why they're also referred to as rotating thunderstorms.

There are four types of thunderstorms: single-cell, multi-cell, squall line, and supercell. Among them, supercells are the rarest and most severe. They are typically isolated from other thunderstorms and can last for two to four hours.

Supercells are prevalent in the Great Plains of the United States, especially in the region known as Tornado Alley. However, they can also occur in other parts of the world, including Europe, Argentina, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil. These storms can vary in size, from large to small, with high or low tops. Supercells are often associated with the most severe tornadoes, although not every supercell can produce one. These storms typically generate heavy rainfall, hail, and powerful winds, along with downbursts.

Downbursts are strong winds that descend from a thunderstorm and rapidly spread out upon reaching the ground. They can cause significant damage and are sometimes mistaken for tornadoes, but they are distinct phenomena.

Let's delve into how a downburst forms. At the start of a thunderstorm, a powerful updraft causes the cloud to grow vertically, and hailstones and raindrops begin to form inside. As the storm progresses and the updraft continues feeding the cloud with unstable moist air, the hailstones and raindrops become larger and heavier, eventually falling to the ground. However, in some cases, the updraft can be so strong that it suspends a substantial amount of rain and hail in the upper and central parts of the storm.

If dry air infiltrates the middle and lower portions of the storm, it can trigger a downburst. This causes the accumulated rain and hail from the upper part of the storm to rush downward, dragging a significant amount of air with it. As the downburst reaches the ground, it spreads in all directions at remarkable speeds, sometimes exceeding 100 miles per hour.

On a smaller scale, you may encounter a microburst, which confines these powerful winds to an area smaller than 2.5 miles in diameter.

While we're discussing tornadoes, it's worth mentioning volcanic tornadoes, one of the most frightening natural phenomena. When a volcano erupts, it propels hot rocks and ash high into the atmosphere, while lava and hot gases flow down the volcano's slope. As the gases rise and spin, they become compressed by the surrounding air, causing them to rotate faster and faster. This is how a volcanic tornado emerges. Fortunately, this phenomenon has a short lifespan.

If you ever witness a tightly spiraling column of air accompanied by fire, that's a fire tornado. It combines the whirlwind effect with a scorching inferno. This dangerous natural occurrence primarily takes place during wildfires when the hot air generated mixes with cooler air higher up, resulting in a whirlwind that churns up burning debris and flames. The most powerful fire tornadoes can extend hundreds of feet into the sky.

Another perilous phenomenon is a snow squall, an intense period of heavy snowfall accompanied by powerful gusty winds and, sometimes, lightning. Snow squalls make driving hazardous, as they significantly reduce visibility. Additionally, a flash freeze can occur when rapidly dropping temperatures cause freshly fallen snow to quickly glaze over roads, making vehicle control nearly impossible.

Now, let's explore a rarely seen and poorly understood phenomenon—dust devils. Unlike their terrifying counterparts, tornadoes, dust devils are generally harmless. These swirling vortices can be small and short-lived, often disappearing within minutes. They go by various names, including whirlwinds, dusters, and sand spouts. Dust devils can swirl loose debris, provided it is small and light enough to be lifted by the fast-moving vortex.

Did you know that certain cloud formations can predict extreme weather? For instance, shelf clouds, which resemble something from a science fiction movie, form when warm and moist air becomes trapped in a thunderstorm updraft. These foreboding clouds often signal an impending storm. Another distinctive cloud type is mammatocumulus, which gives the impression that the sky is falling. These clouds form when cool, moist air descends and mixes with dry air, resulting in unique, puffed rice-like formations. When spotted, mammatocumulus clouds indicate that bad weather is imminent.

Morning Glory clouds are extremely rare and harmless. They appear as massive tubes stretching across the sky, sometimes extending over 600 miles. Researchers believe they form when an updraft squeezes through the cloud, creating a rolling appearance. The cool air at the back of the cloud causes it to sink downward. The best place to observe Morning Glory clouds is Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria between late September and early November.

Have you ever seen large round discs in the sky? Most likely, those were lenticular clouds. They typically form over high, mountainous areas when strong winds encounter a barrier, creating an airwave. As the rising air encounters the cooler temperatures at higher altitudes, moisture condenses into water droplets, forming these distinctive cloud shapes. Lenticular clouds can resemble waves, pizzas, or stacks of pancakes.

On the contrary, rainbow clouds occur low in the sky, usually above puffy, low-altitude clouds after thunderstorms. They hover around 6,000 feet and result from water vapor condensing into droplets, which act as prisms, producing multicolored caps over the clouds.

As a bonus fact, one of the common causes of wildfires is lightning from thunderstorms. However, it is interesting to note that wildfires can also trigger thunderstorms. A notable example occurred on May 11, 2018, near Amarillo, Texas. The intense Mallard Fire generated a dense, massive cloud high in the atmosphere, while its heat generated a violent thunderstorm that subsequently produced quarter-sized hailstones 60 miles away in Wheeler County, Texas.

That concludes our exploration of these intriguing natural phenomena. If you found this information captivating, please like and share the video with your friends. For more engaging content, click on the suggested videos and stay on the bright side.