How Does Extreme Weather Science: Tornadoes, Hurricanes & Storms Work?

Extreme weather is like when the sky gets really excited and starts playing rough games with the air around it.

Tornadoes are like super-fast spinning vacuums in the sky, imagine a giant, invisible merry-go-round that whips up everything in its path. They happen when warm, wet air meets cold, dry air, and they start twirling so fast that they pull things from the ground all the way up to the clouds.

Hurricanes are like giant whirlpools in the sky, big, powerful storms with winds that go around and around, just like water swirling down a drain. They form over warm oceans when the air gets heated up, rises, and pulls more air in to take its place, making the wind spin faster and faster.

Storms, like thunderstorms, are like when the sky is having a loud argument, lightning is the flash, thunder is the rumble, and rain is the voice saying, “I’m not done yet!”

Each of these weather wonders uses air, heat, and sometimes water to create their special effects, just like how you use your arms and legs to run or jump.