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Subject : L6) Are TC tornadoes weaker than midlatitude tornadoes?
Contributed by Bill McCaul and Bart Hagemeyer
In general, it appears that TC tornadoes are somewhat weaker and briefer
than midlatitude tornadoes. During the period 1948-1986, the percentage
of TC tornadoes that reached F2 or greater intensity on the Fujita scale
was 26% (McCaul et al., 2004), while during
a roughly comparable period (1950-1976), the corresponding percentage for
all U.S. tornadoes was 36% (Kelly et al., 1978)(Gentry 1983; McCaul 1991)
.
In Florida, in particular, the most significant tornadoes tend to occur
with "hybrid" cyclones or tropical cyclones with some hybrid influence.
This usually means greater westerly shear in the storm environment which
is believed to be favorable for stronger, long-lasting tornadoes.
Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was a minimal category 1 hurricane with
considerable hybrid influence and it produced the most F2 and greater
tornadoes in a single day in Florida history
(Hagemeyer 1997; Hagemeyer and Spratt, 2002).
Last updated October 4, 2006
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