Do you know what is the highest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado?
Tornadoes are spinning funnels of air that are violent. They cause great harm and destruction. There are two scales by which their speed is measured. One is the Original Fujita Tornado scale and the other is the Enhanced Fujita Tornado scale. The grade of the tornado is measured by what speed it has and how much destruction it causes.
Original Fujita Tornado Scale :
In 1971, Dr. Theodore Fujita created a six-category scale to measure the strength of the tornado by the speed of the winds and the harm that they cause. This scale ranged from F0 to F5. It was used by the National Weather Service in the USA until 2006.
Enhanced Fujita Tornado Scale:
The National Weather Service released an advanced version of the Fujita scale in 2006. This scale gives more details about the damage caused by the tornado. It is categorized by eight levels of harm which are also known as degrees of damage (DOD). It also explains about vegetation and has 28 types of structures called damage indicators.
Categories of tornadoes :
According to the Enhanced Fajita Scale a tornado can be categorized by the following ratings from EF-0 to EF-5.
Ef-0 :
It is also called as Gale Tornado. The estimated wind gusts are between 40-70 miles per hour. The damage is very little. It breaks some tree branches, causes some harm to the chimneys and the sign boards.
EF-1 :
Also called Moderate Tornado. The estimated wind gusts are between 73-112 mph. It damages the roofs and garages of houses. Pushes the vehicles off of the roads.
EF-2 :
Also known as Significant Tornado. The wind gusts are estimated between 113-157 mph. The damage caused is considerable. Roofs are torn off of the houses. It demolishes the mobile homes completely. Large trees are uprooted and snapped.
EF-3 :
By the amount of it’s intensity, it is called the Severe Tornado. Estimated wind gusts between 158-206 mph. Uproots most of the trees from the forests. Walls and roofs of the well made houses are damaged. Trains and vehicles are over turned.
EF-4 :
Also known as the devastating tornado. Wind speed ranging between 207-260 mph. Houses are leveled. Cars are thrown far away. Missiles are generated in the air.
EF-5 :
Known as the Incredible Tornado. Wind speed ranging between 261-318 mph. Houses lifted off their foundations. Missiles fly through the air. Structures badly damaged. Trees are debarked.
How about an EF-6 Tornado? Had there been one?
No, there had never been an EF-6 Tornado, even if a tornado had wind level of EF-6, which is not likely to happen, it would still be rated as EF-5 because the scale is from EF-0 – EF-5.
Highest wind speed ever recorded
Do you know what is the highest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado?It was greater than 300mph. Recorded on May 3,1999 when a tornado moved through Moore and the Bridge Creek, Oklahoma.