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supercell storm
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supercell storm

meteorology
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A cartoon tornado in a field populated by a farmhouse and other small buildings.
How Do Tornadoes Form? The average tornado has a short lifespan—but large potential for destruction.

A supercell storm is the most intense type of thunderstorm, characterized by a long-lived, rotating updraft known as a mesocyclone. This rotation, which can exceed 40 meters per second, allows supercells to suspend large hailstones and produce severe wind and hail damage. These storms are the most likely to generate powerful tornadoes. Supercells typically last two to six hours and are a significant type of severe weather often associated with mesoscale convective systems. The formation of a mesocyclone is crucial, involving the concentration of atmospheric rotation into a swirling column of air within the thunderstorm.123

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. thunderstorm - Supercell storms
  2. mesocyclone
  3. thunderstorm - Multiple-cell thunderstorms and mesoscale convective systems
  4. tornado - The mesocyclone

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