Mikethomas and Jeffhamm

[jimsnarocks]

I pray you folks are ok after the nasty tornado ripped through your city. JIm

[Mike Thomas]

Hi Jim, I only saw it on the news, it was about 20k's from my house and it finished about 2 k's from my work. It killed 2 and injured over 20, some very seriously.
By American standards it was very small and very localised, but it is very unusual to have a Tornado in NZ, the last one that did any damage was 20 years ago.
I have not heard from Jeff but I presume at that time of day he would have been at work and that is in the centre of Auckland, so he should be fine.
Thanks for the prayers Jim, we are of course keeping those that died or were hurt in our thoughts and prayers.
All the best.
Mike

[JeffHamm]

Hi all,

Yes, all is well with me and my family. As Mike says, it's rare to have tornados here. In fact, in the news, they were commenting on how the weather conditions were not such that they expected a tornado (not quite warm and humid enough and the wind wasn't quite rotary enough when they sent up weather balloons, etc) so they are thinking the specific landscape had something to do with it (the hills may have helped to force the rotatations of the wind above what would have happened elsewhere). Damage is quite high, estimated into the 10s of millions.

Anyway, as I say, we're all fine here.

- Jeff

[Gringo]

Glad to hear all is well folks, was thinking of you.



CT

[nighthawk]

Glad to hear you two are alright. Even the smallest of tornadoes (EF-0) are violent storms. Certain atmospheric conditions in mountainous terrain will cause the formation of atmospheric vortexes (vortex) more commonly called a "rotor". I believe these conditions generate wind shear. Also in order to create convection in the atmosphere you need only a 1 degree difference in temperature, warmer at lower altitudes than at higher altitudes. Of course the greater the temperature gradient the greater the convection. Add a little wind with uplift from terrain and you have a storm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_turbulence

Welcome to the wacky world of aero/hydro dynamics.

[jimsnarocks]

Mike and Jeff. Thanks for the responses. Glad you are both well. Sorry about those who died and were injured. I don't like tornados.
My grandparents on my mom's side were killed in Howe, OK on May 5, 1961 by what may have been a catagory 4 tornado. That's one of the main reasons I will not live in the "tornado belt" if there is such a place.
I agree with Jeff that they can happen anywhere without the proper conditions. Jim