<h1 id="auto-label-section-828204" class="ltx_title_section">Introduction<br></h1><div>A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters or cyclones, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology, in a wider sense, to name any closed low pressure circulation. Tornadoes often develop from a class of thunderstorms known as super cells. <br></div><p class="p1"><i>Supercells contain mesocyclones</i>, an area of organized rotation a few miles up in the atmosphere, usually 1–6 miles (2–10 km) across. Most intense tornadoes (EF3 to EF5 on the&nbsp;<i>Enhanced Fujita Scale</i>) develop from supercells. In addition to tornadoes, <b>very heavy rain</b>, frequent lightning, strong wind gusts, and hail are common in such storms.<br></p><div><br></div>