An example of a hook echo.
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NWSFO/Tuslas, OK
Tornado Forecasts
Tornadoes are hard to forecast. They don't last very long so there's not
much time to figure out what's happening. Also, scientists don't really
know how they
form.
They know what the weather's like when past tornadoes have formed, so
that's what they use to make forecasts.
Meteorologists take measurements of the air called
soundings. One of the things these measurements tells
them is how
stable
the air is. Other measurements tell them the
temperature and humidity.
Using these measurements, meteorologists can tell if tornadoes are likely
to form. When an area looks like it might get hit, they issue a
tornado watch.
By using a new kind of
weather radar,
meteorologists can detect a tornado as it's forming--up to 20 minutes
before it forms a funnel! Using
conventional radar, they
might have been able to see the tornado after it already formed. (A
tornado would show up as a
hook echo.)
That doesn't leave much time to issue a
tornado warning.
Also, tornadoes don't always show up on radar. Tornado
spotters are needed to
give reliable observations of the weather. The more time people have
before a tornado, the fewer people
will be hurt or killed because they'll have more time to seek shelter.
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