How do severe storms and tornadoes form?

Do you know how tornadoes form and why some storms don't even get tornadoes?

• Answer:

  It takes a thunderstorm to produce a tornado. Currently, there are two separate ways a tornado is formed. Supercell thunderstorms will often have storm scale rotation which is called mesocyclone. It is known that there is air underneath the storm that is rotating horizontally. When the updraft of the storm strengthens, with the help of inflow winds, the horizontal rotating air can be tilted into the vertical. If the rotation is strong enough, a lowering from the base of the storm cloud can form and make a wall cloud. Sometimes, the wall cloud can be rotating as well.If the updraft, downdraft, and rear flank downdraft are present, this can strengthen the rotation and can create a funnel cloud. If the rotation remains strong and eventually reaches the ground, then a tornado has formed. A non-supercell tornado does not form from organized storm scale rotation. They form from a vertically rotating air that is already occurring near the ground. This is caused by wind shear from a warm, cold, or sea breeze front, or a dryline. When an updraft moves over the rotating air and stretches it, a tornado can form. At this time, it is not clear as to why some storms don't produce a tornado. Research is still on going for this reason. Teams such as Vortex2 went out in the field to research this very topic.