Natural disasters make a person understand that his capabilities to control nature are not limitless. Floods, earthquakes and hurricanes can wipe out entire cities from the face of the earth, changing the usual way of life. In the USA, up to 1000 tornadoes are recorded annually, which, however, do not cause global consequences. Thanks to strict adherence to the developed rules of behavior, it is possible to avoid a large number of casualties and destruction. Houses are built using special technology and are able to withstand the impact of the elements.

Tornadoes of destructive force occur not only in the United States. In countries South America and even in Europe this catastrophic weather phenomenon can be observed, but it is in the United States that they appear more often and cause not only fear, but also gambling interest. Tornado hunters risk their lives trying to capture the most impressive footage. Taking their equipment with them, adrenaline seekers go in search of whirlwinds. To ensure a successful hunt, they rely on data from the National Tornado Forecasting System.

People have learned to artificially create tornadoes and use them to their advantage. For example, it serves as an excellent means of ventilation when there is heavy smoke in the room. The Guinness Book of Records records such a tornado, formed in the Mercedes-Benz Museum with a height of 34 meters.

For a tornado to occur, a collision of warm and cold weather is necessary. air masses. Based on displacement analysis atmospheric fronts we can assume the likelihood of tornadoes in a certain area. Modern computer technology (you can see examples of it) almost accurately determines pressure drops, indicating the direction of cyclones.

At the beginning of the formation of a vortex, a funnel is formed from a thundercloud. Cold air sinks to the ground, and warm air, on the contrary, rises higher - a circular motion begins.

Air masses, moving in a spiral, form a funnel that descends to the ground. In the middle of the vortex there is a zone low blood pressure. Objects that fall into the “eye” of a tornado explode from the inside. Once a tornado “plucked” an entire chicken coop. Each chicken feather has an air sac in its structure. When the chickens entered an area with pressure changes, all the feathers burst, leaving the birds naked.

At this point, the fully formed tornado begins to move. The direction of movement cannot be known; it can change every minute. It is at this time that a tornado reaches its peak destructive power. The strength of a tornado depends on the radius of the vortex motion.

A tornado can last for hours or be over in less than a minute. The vortex of the longest duration, recorded in 1917, lasted more than 7 hours.

Tornadoes come in different shapes and air speeds. The most common form of tornado is similar to a whip - a long funnel down to the ground that can be smooth or curved.

Another type of tornado has a radius greater than its length, similar in appearance to a cloud reaching towards the ground. The most dangerous tornadoes are those that consist of several vortices that rotate around the main funnel. They can be compared to the interweaving of several ropes.

Gradually, the tornado fills with dust and debris from objects and buildings. Houses, cars, animals, trees are spinning in the air; one desperate journalist voluntarily surrendered to the mercy of the elements and was able to survive this journey, having been in the center of the crater. Whirlwinds can become fiery; their formation is caused by particularly strong fires.

Description

Inside the funnel, the air descends and outside it rises, rotating rapidly, creating an area of ​​​​very rarefied air. The vacuum is so significant that closed gas-filled objects, including buildings, can explode from the inside due to the pressure difference. This phenomenon increases the destruction from the tornado and makes it difficult to determine its parameters. Determining the speed of air movement in a funnel is still a matter of serious problem. Basically, estimates of this quantity are known from indirect observations. Depending on the intensity of the vortex, the speed of the flow in it can vary. It is believed that it exceeds 18 m/s and can, according to some indirect estimates, reach 1300 km/h. The tornado itself moves along with the cloud that generates it. This movement can produce speeds of tens of km/h, usually 20-60 km/h. According to indirect estimates, the energy of an ordinary tornado with a radius of 1 km and average speed 70 m/s is comparable to the energy of a standard atomic bomb, similar to the one that was exploded in the United States during the Trinity tests in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. (unavailable link) The record for the lifetime of a tornado can be considered the Mattoon tornado, which on May 26, 1917, covered 500 km across the United States in 7 hours and 20 minutes, killing 110 people. The width of the vague funnel of this tornado was 0.4-1 km; a whip-like funnel was visible inside it. Another famous tornado event is the Tristate tornado, which passed through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18, 1925, traveling 350 km in 3.5 hours. The diameter of its vague crater ranged from 800 m to 1.6 km.

In the Northern Hemisphere, air rotation in tornadoes usually occurs counterclockwise. This may be due to the directions of mutual movements of air masses on either side of the atmospheric front on which the tornado is formed. Cases of reverse rotation are also known. In areas adjacent to the tornado, air descends, causing the vortex to close.

At the point of contact of the base of the tornado funnel with the surface of the earth or water, a cascade- a cloud or column of dust, debris and objects raised from the ground or water splashes. When a tornado is formed, the observer sees how a cascade rises from the ground towards the funnel descending from the sky, which then covers the lower part of the funnel. The term comes from the fact that the debris, having risen to a certain insignificant height, can no longer be held by the air flow and falls to the ground. The funnel, without touching the ground, can envelop case. Merging, the cascade, the case and the mother cloud create the illusion of a tornado funnel that is wider than it actually is.

Sometimes a whirlwind formed at sea is called a tornado, and on land - a tornado. Atmospheric vortices, similar to tornadoes, but formed in Europe, are called blood clots. But more often all these three concepts are considered synonyms.

Reasons for education

The reasons for the formation of tornadoes have not yet been fully studied. It is possible to indicate only a few general information, most characteristic of typical tornadoes.

Tornadoes go through three main stages in their development. At the initial stage, an initial funnel appears from a thundercloud, hanging above the ground. Cold layers of air located directly below the cloud rush down to replace warm ones, which, in turn, rise upward (such an unstable system is usually formed when two atmospheric fronts connect - warm and cold). The potential energy of this system is converted into kinetic energy of the rotational movement of air. The speed of this movement increases, and it takes on its classic appearance.

The rotational speed increases over time, while in the center of the tornado the air begins to rise upward intensively. This is how the second stage of a tornado’s existence proceeds - the stage of a formed vortex of maximum power. The tornado is fully formed and moves in different directions.

The final stage is the destruction of the vortex. The power of the tornado weakens, the funnel narrows and breaks away from the surface of the earth, gradually rising back into the mother cloud.

The lifetime of each stage is different and ranges from several minutes to several hours (in exceptional cases). The speed of tornadoes also varies, on average - 40 - 60 km/h (in very rare cases it can reach 210 km/h).

Places of tornado formation

Places where tornadoes can form are orange on the map.

The second region of the globe where conditions for the formation of tornadoes arise is Europe (except for the Iberian Peninsula), and the entire European territory of Russia, with the exception of the south of Russia, Karelia and the Murmansk region, as well as other northern regions.

Thus, tornadoes are mainly observed in temperate zone both hemispheres, from approximately the 60th parallel to the 45th parallel in Europe and the 30th parallel in the USA.

Tornadoes are also recorded in the east of Argentina, South Africa, the west and east of Australia and a number of other regions, where there may also be conditions for collision of atmospheric fronts.

Classification of tornadoes

Scourge-like

This is the most common type of tornado. The funnel looks smooth, thin, and can be quite tortuous. The length of the funnel significantly exceeds its radius. Weak tornadoes and tornado funnels that descend into the water are, as a rule, whip-like tornadoes.

Vague

They look like shaggy, rotating clouds that reach the ground. Sometimes the diameter of such a tornado even exceeds its height. All large diameter craters (more than 0.5 km) are vague. Usually these are very powerful vortices, often composite. Causes enormous damage due to large sizes and very high wind speeds.

Composite

May consist of two or more separate blood clots around a main central tornado. Such tornadoes can be of almost any power, however, most often they are very powerful tornadoes. They cause significant damage over large areas. .

Fiery

These are ordinary tornadoes generated by a cloud formed as a result of a strong fire or volcanic eruption. It was precisely such tornadoes that were first artificially created by man (experiments by J. Dessens in the Sahara, which continued in 1960-1962). They “absorb” tongues of flame that stretch towards the mother cloud, forming a fiery tornado. A fire can spread tens of kilometers. They can be whip-like. Cannot be fuzzy (fire is not under pressure, like whiplash tornadoes.

Water

These are tornadoes that formed over the surface of oceans, seas, and in rare cases, lakes. They “absorb” water (why? See above) and form waterspouts. They “absorb” waves and water, forming, in some cases, whirlpools that stretch towards the mother cloud, forming a waterspout. They can be whip-like. Cannot be fuzzy (like fire tornadoes: the water is not under pressure, like a whip-like tornado).

Earthen

These tornadoes are very rare, they are formed during destructive cataclysms or landslides, sometimes earthquakes above 7 points on the Richter scale, very high pressure drops, and very thin air. A whip-like tornado, located with a “carrot” with its thick part towards the ground, inside a dense funnel, a thin stream of earth inside, a “second shell” of earthen slurry (if there is a landslide). In the case of earthquakes, it lifts stones, which is very dangerous.

Ball

It is not yet known how it is “structured”. It has not yet been proven that it exists. It can be fire, water, earth, air, and, most dangerously, gas, which causes explosions like ball lightning. In general, this volumetric oval or a ball that spins at breakneck speed, then flattens out, flattening all its contents (if a person gets in there, it will look like a thick pancake, or torn into pieces). I was in Brazil during a fire tornado, but due to its small size (they are about 10 - 50 meters in diameter) they did not notice it.

Snowy

These are snow tornadoes during a severe snowstorm.

Sand whirlwinds

Sand whirlwinds

It is necessary to distinguish from the considered tornadoes the sand “tornadoes” (“dust devils”) observed in deserts (Egypt, Sahara); unlike the previous ones, the latter are sometimes called thermal vortices. Similar in appearance to real tornadoes, desert sand whirlwinds have nothing in common with the former either in size, origin, structure or action. Arising under the influence of local heating of the sandy surface sun rays, sand vortices are a real cyclone (barometric minimum) in miniature. A decrease in air pressure under the influence of heating, causing an influx of air from the sides to the heated place, under the influence of the rotation of the Earth, and even more so - the incomplete symmetry of such an upward flow, forms a rotation that gradually grows into a funnel and sometimes, under favorable conditions, takes on quite impressive dimensions. Carried away by the vortex movement, the masses of sand are lifted by an upward movement in the center of the vortex into the air, and thus a sand column is created, which resembles a tornado. In Egypt, such sand whirlwinds up to 500 and even 1000 meters high with a diameter of up to 2-3 meters were observed. When there is wind, these vortices can move, carried away by the general movement of air. After holding on for some time (sometimes up to 2 hours), such a vortex gradually weakens and crumbles.

Damaging factors

Tornado Precautions

It is necessary to take shelter in the strongest reinforced concrete structure with a steel frame, keeping close to the strongest wall, also - best option shelter - an underground shelter or cave. Staying in a car or trailer, given the high lifting force of a tornado, is mortally dangerous; it is also life-threatening to encounter the elements outdoors.

If a tornado finds a person in an open space, then you need to move with maximum speed perpendicular to the apparent movement of the funnel. Or, if retreat is impossible, take cover in depressions on the surface (ravines, holes, trenches, road ditches, ditches, ditches) and press yourself tightly to the ground, face down, covering your head with your hands. This will help significantly reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries from objects and debris carried by the tornado.

In a small one- or two-story private house, you can use the basement (here, for such an emergency, it is wise to place a supply of water and canned food, as well as candles or LED lamps in advance), if there is no basement, then you should stay in the bathroom or in the center of a small room on the bottom floor, perhaps under durable furniture, but away from windows. It would be prudent to dress in thick clothes, taking money and documents with you. To prevent the house from exploding from the pressure drop caused by the air being pumped into the whirlwind, it is recommended to tightly close all windows and doors on the side of the approaching tornado, and on the opposite side, open them wide open and secure them. According to safety precautions, it is advisable to turn off the gas and turn off the electricity.

Interesting facts from the chronicle of tornadoes

Current Research

Literature

• Varaksin A. Yu., Romash M. E., Kopeytsev V. N. Tornado. - M.: Fizmatlit, 2011. - 344 p. - 300 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9221-1249-9

Notes

1. Soviet encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: “ Soviet Encyclopedia", 1981. - 1600 p.
2. Nalivkin D.V. Tornadoes. - M.: Nauka, 1984. - 111 p.
3. “Tornado” // Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language. / comp. M. R. Vasmer, - M.: Progress 1964-1973
4. S.P. Khromov, M.A. Petrosyants. Small-scale eddies. Meteorology and climatology. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
5. (unavailable link)
6. Mezentsev V. A., “Unsolved Earth: stories about how our planet was discovered and continues to be discovered” / reviewer - Dr. geogr. Sciences E. M. Murzaev, - M.: Mysl, 1983, P. 136-142
7. G. Lyuboslavsky: // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
8. Chernysh I. V., "Traveler's Hiking Encyclopedia", - M.: FAIR-PRESS, 2006, P. 289, ISBN 5-8183-0982-7
9. John Wiseman « Complete Guide on survival", - M.: AST, 2011, P. 549, ISBN 978-5-17-045760-1
10. Konstantin Ranks“Desert Russia”, - M.: Eksmo, 2011, pp. 185-187, ISBN 978-5-699-46249-0
11. Kravchuk P. A. Records of nature. - L.: Erudite, 1993. - 216 p. - 60,000 copies. - ISBN 5-7707-2044-1
12. (English) National Severe Storms Laboratory VORTEX: Unraveling the Secrets. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (October 30, 2006). Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
13. (English) Michael H Mogil Extreme Weather. - New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publisher, 2007. - P. 210–211. - ISBN 978-1-57912-743-5
14. (English) Kevin McGrath Mesocyclone Climatology Project. University of Oklahoma (November 5, 1998). Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
15. (English) Seymour, Simon (2001). Tornadoes. New York City, New York: HarperCollins. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-06-443791-2.

see also

Links

• Tornado in Krasnogorsk on August 3, 2007 - meteorological data and video on the website Meteoweb.ru, 07/19/2008.

Tornado (synonyms - tornado, thrombus, meso-hurricane) - a strong whirlwind formed in hot weather under a well-developed cumulonimbus cloud and spreading towards the surface of the earth or body of water in the form of a giant dark rotating column or funnel.

The vortex has a vertical (or slightly inclined to the horizon) axis of rotation, the height of the vortex is hundreds of meters (in some cases 1-2 km), the diameter is 10-30 m, the lifetime is from several minutes to an hour or more.

The tornado passes through a narrow strip, so there may not be a significant increase in wind directly at the weather station, but in fact inside the tornado the wind speed reaches 20-30 m/s or more. A tornado is most often accompanied by heavy rain and thunderstorms, sometimes hail.

In the center of the tornado there is very low pressure, as a result of which it sucks into itself everything that it encounters on the way, and can lift water, soil, individual objects, buildings, sometimes carrying them over considerable distances.

Possibilities and methods of forecasting

A tornado is a phenomenon that is difficult to predict. The tornado monitoring system is based on a system of visual observations by a network of stations and posts, which practically allows only the azimuth of the tornado’s movement to be determined.

By technical means Weather radars are sometimes used to detect tornadoes. However, conventional radar is not able to detect the presence of a tornado because the size of the tornado is too small. Cases of detection of tornadoes by conventional radars were observed only at a very close distance. Radar can be of great help when tracking a tornado.

When the radio echo of a cloud associated with a tornado can be identified on the radar screen, it becomes possible to warn about the approach of a tornado one to two hours in advance.

Doppler radars are used in the operational work of a number of meteorological services.

Protection of the population during hurricanes, storms, tornadoes

In terms of the speed of spread of the danger, hurricanes, storms and tornadoes can be classified as emergency events with a moderate speed of spread, which allows for a wide range of preventive measures to be carried out both in the period preceding the immediate threat of occurrence and after their occurrence - until the moment of direct impact.

These time-based measures are divided into two groups: advance (preventive) measures and work; operational protective measures carried out after the announcement of an unfavorable forecast, immediately before a given hurricane (storm, tornado).

Advance (preventive) measures and work are carried out in order to prevent significant damage long before the onset of the impact of a hurricane, storm and tornado and can cover a long period of time.

Advance measures include: restrictions on land use in areas prone to hurricanes, storms and tornadoes; restrictions on the location of hazardous production facilities; dismantling of some outdated or fragile buildings and structures; strengthening industrial, residential and other buildings and structures; carrying out engineering and technical measures to reduce the risk of hazardous industries in strong wind, incl. increasing the physical resistance of storage facilities and equipment containing flammable and other hazardous substances; creation of material and technical reserves; training of the population and rescue personnel.

Protective measures carried out after receiving a storm warning include: forecasting the path and time of approach to various areas of a hurricane (storm, tornado), as well as its consequences; promptly increasing the size of the material and technical reserve necessary to eliminate the consequences of a hurricane (storm, tornado); partial evacuation of the population; preparation of shelters, basements and other buried premises to protect the population; moving unique and especially valuable property into durable or recessed premises; preparation for restoration work and life support measures for the population.

Tornadoes are not frequent in Russia. The most famous are the Moscow tornadoes of 1904. Then on June 29, several craters descended from a thundercloud over the outskirts of Moscow, destroying a large number of buildings - both urban and rural. Tornadoes were accompanied by thunderstorm phenomena - darkness, thunder and lightning.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Tornadoes (or huge tornadoes) are considered one of the most terrible and destructive natural phenomena on our planet. They are a narrow column of air rotating at a monstrous speed that stretches from the ground to a thundercloud. Since the wind is invisible, we cannot see the tornado in its pure form, so to speak. We can judge its presence, movement and power only by its visible signs, namely, by the funnel, which consists of water drops and various items rising up from the surface of the earth. Dust and debris in this spinning funnel also make the location of the tornado visible.

Tornadoes are a menacing natural phenomenon.

Typically, tornadoes and waterspouts form during severe thunderstorm and they are the ones who pose the greatest danger. An extremely fast spinning wind can travel enormous distances in very short periods of time, which means the possibility of large-scale destruction occurring over a huge area in extremely short periods of time. short time. Tornadoes have accounted for more than one hundred human lives, and also caused material losses amounting to many billions of dollars.

Tornadoes are a menacing natural phenomenon.

Scientists recorded the highest speed of a tornado on April 2, 1958 in the small town of Wichita Falls in the USA; it was approximately four hundred kilometers per hour. One consolation is the fact that only two percent of tornadoes can reach this level of power. However, about seventy percent of them lead to terrible tragedies and many casualties.

Sometimes it happens that not one, but several tornadoes form in one place. For example, on March 28, 1984, as many as twenty-two tornadoes formed in a short period of time in the states of North and South Carolina. Almost sixty people became victims of this disaster, more than a thousand were injured, and the damage to the economy as a result of the destruction amounted to about two hundred million US dollars. The very next year, more than forty tornadoes were reported in Ohio, Ontario, and Pennsylvania, killing nearly eighty people and seriously injuring a thousand more. Economic damage was estimated at almost half a billion dollars.
In general, about a thousand tornadoes of varying strength and speed are recorded annually in the United States, but only a small percentage of them cause damage to populated buildings. The likelihood of a storm hitting the building where you are is very low, but you can further reduce the risk of injury by following a few simple tips.
The main thing is not to panic, not to lose vigilance if, judging by all the signs, a tornado begins. To those who are on open area, it is best to find shelter in the form of a ravine or hollow and wait out the elements there. If you are in a building, you need to choose the most safe place, for example, in a doorway, under a strong table and cover yourself with something soft, like a mattress.

Every year, tornadoes and waterspouts kill approximately sixty people. People mostly die and are injured from falling debris, which a terrible wind lifts up and then, weakening, throws them on the heads of the unfortunate people. The worst tornado in history, which killed almost seven hundred people, was the tornado that swept through the states of Missouri, Indiana and Illinois on March 18, 1925. He walked the longest distance, over two hundred miles.

With such destructive force It is not yet possible for a person to cope, and it is difficult to predict the occurrence of such terrible phenomenon, so if you live in an area with a high risk of a tornado, be prepared and know how to protect yourself from one.

One of the dangerous natural phenomena often observed in the northeast of the Black Sea and in the southeast Sea of ​​Azov- tornadoes.

According to L.Z. Prokh (46), “...in most cases, a tornado is the most destructive phenomenon of nature.” They are quite common in many areas of the globe, in particular in Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia. In the USA, for example, on average 113 people die annually from tornadoes on land (they are called tornadoes there), and material losses amount to about 75 million dollars. According to other sources, the losses are even more significant (47). From 1916 to 1960 There were 11,503 tornadoes in the United States from 1916 to 1950. 7,961 people died and losses amounted to $500 million. We were unable to find statistics on losses in the USSR and the CIS. Most likely there isn't one.

Very dangerous waterspouts occur in the seas. They occur near capes in shallow seas and at the boundaries of warm currents. Waterspouts are believed to last no more than 40 minutes; their diameter is 5-100 m. Tornadoes on land are larger. The funnel of a tornado usually develops from a large rain cloud and resembles a huge twisted rope. It, however, can consist of either fresh water from the cloud or draw in salty water. sea ​​water. Inside the funnel there is a strong downward movement of air at a speed of up to 80 m/sec. This jet is bordered by powerful ascending air currents with speeds up to 90 m/sec, carrying splashes, dust, and condensed vapors torn from the water. D.V. Nalivkin claims that the speed of air rotation in catastrophic tornadoes reaches 332 m/sec- the speed of sound! Due to the decrease in pressure in the center of the tornado, it turns into a huge suction pump and is capable of lifting a variety of objects, living beings sometimes so high (up to 1000 m) that they freeze and become covered with ice. Tornadoes carry hail, even ball lightning, and regular lightning is common in them. A tornado funnel can hold up to half a million tons of water in the air!

Waterspouts are often accompanied by cascades - a cloud or column of water spray at the base of the tornado. The height of the cascade can reach several hundred meters, but most often - several tens of meters (48).

Tornado path length - up to 8-16 km but sometimes it reaches 200 and even 500 km. The speed of a tornado is from zero when it stands still to 240 km/hour

Tornadoes, especially waterspouts in the Azov-Black Sea basin, can be very destructive and are often accompanied by casualties. Hydrometeorologist D. Old in the period from 1924 to 1934. recorded 24 cases of tornadoes in the Azov-Black Sea region. They usually appear in warm time years and often lead to disasters. So, on July 14, 1924, a tornado passed through the Kuban Plavni and the Kurchansky Estuary on Taman into the steppe. There he picked up three shepherd boys, one of whom was soon found dead. The fate of the other two is unknown. According to D. Starov, on September 20, 1927 in Kerch, in the Yenikale region, a tornado lifted into the air and threw it 150 m longboat and canoe, turning them into chips. One of the fishermen was killed and three were maimed. Several longboats are broken near the shore (49). Sometimes, fortunately, the occurrence of a tornado is not accompanied by losses. From July 22 to September 29, 1954, four tornadoes were visually recorded on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea using radar equipment and visually recorded. Here is an eyewitness description of one of them, borrowed from the literature (50):

“In the afternoon, lead-black thunderclouds appeared in the south, towards the sea, slowly approaching the coast. Suddenly, at 16:40, from the middle of one of the clouds, a huge gray trunk began to slowly descend to the surface of the sea, and a column of water spray and dust rose towards it. Then everything merged into one column of water. The giant top, gradually thickening, was menacingly approaching the shore. It seemed as if the sea had connected with the sky, and the water itself was running up through an extraordinary hose. Before reaching the shore, the tornado began to gradually weaken and disintegrated at 16:59. He was observed for only 19 minutes."

This time it worked out... Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

The most severe disaster caused by a tornado occurred in July 1991 near Tuapse. A powerful waterspout “unloaded” exactly in the mountains near the city of Tuapse. A huge mass of water, accompanied by thunderstorms and stormy winds, rushed along the river valley to the sea. The height of the water shaft in the Taupse area reached 8 m. Several beautiful mountain villages - Goytkh, Georgievskoye, Gerznyan - were covered by this rampart and destroyed.

In Tuapse, the water intake was destroyed, the electrical network and oil depot were damaged. Fuel ended up in the sea. Landslides caused by the tornado destroyed the Maykop-Sochi gas pipeline, highways, railway Tuapse-Sochi-Georgia. Thousands of people were left homeless. 27 people died. For a long time Rescuers and helicopters searched for missing people (51). The losses were huge. And this is just one blow from the tornado!

Every year in the Azov-Black Sea basin there are apparently several cases of tornadoes. Their scales and consequences are different. Probably, we simply know nothing about many of them; there is no established and published information. But we should know and be wary of this formidable element.