Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados

Hurricane image from wikia

Blowing at over 72 mph, hurricanes are violent spirals originating over tropical seas. In some regions, they're called cyclones and typhoons. Over land, severe thunderstorms produce whirling funnel-cloud storms called tornadoes or twisters. Winds may blow up to 300 mph (480 kph) and can lift animals, cars and even mobile homes into the air.

Tornadoes can come with little warning;  they are often preceded by a period of stillness, and clear air may be visible behind them.

They may be accompanied by hail, thunder and torrential rains, and the sound of roaring.They are measured on the EF scale, with 5 being the strongest.

Over water, they are called waterspouts. These winds are seen mostly in a swath of central North America called Tornado Alley.

Right: a 1999 tornado in Manitoba from whyfiles