The tornado is one of the most destructive forces of nature, capable of destroying entire towns, leveling houses, businesses and throwing cars at long distances. While there is no clear way of figuring out on your own if a tornado is coming, there are some warning signs you can follow, which might give you an idea of what to expect from the weather.
One of the main things to look at is the sky obviously. If you notice that it gets dark and it’s taking a green hue, you should start preparing for the eventuality of a tornado. A green sky doesn’t guarantee that a tornado is near, but it is one of the signs when it happens. There are opinions that the green hue is caused by the amount of hail within the thunderstorm.The larger the hail, the stronger the thunderstorms updraft, a key ingredient for tornado formation.
Another thing is that a tornado might be nearby is when you see hail that is falling. You get large hail when a tornado is coming, but it’s not always the case. When you see that hail is coming and the day has been nice for the most part, a tornado might be appearing shortly. Even when it’s raining, if your large hail appears, then you might be facing a tornado soon.
One other thing that could point to a tornado is when you notice a cloud of debris approaching. Even if you don’t notice the funnel that shows the tornado, you should still find cover as fast as possible. Once the debris cloud is nearby, the tornado is usually just a few seconds behind.
As soon as the signs of a tornado are evident, you should find cover as soon as possible. Since they can be so destructive, you shouldn’t take any chances. You can get back your possessions if they’re damaged, but you can’t get back your life. Protect yourself at all costs if you figure out that a tornado is close.
A distinct lower base under a thunderstorm may be a wall cloud, this cloud may already be rotating. Any observation of such phenomena requires immediate shelter!