Stormy weather hit Florida Monday morning, with a tornado hitting north of Orlando. (Photo courtesy of NOAA)
A tornado has torn through central Florida, destroying homes and sending broadcasters scrambling for cover while on air. Experts are warning of more tornadoes in the Southwest in the coming days, as well as severe storms.
A tornado hit Seminole County in the Orlando metropolitan area on Monday (March 10), with maximum winds of 115 mph (185 kph), according to weather website AccuWeather.
The tornado traveled about 4 miles (6 kilometers) in 15 minutes, destroying two homes, uprooting trees and damaging cars. No serious injuries were reported from the tornado, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
FOX 35 Orlando confirmed the location of the tornado live on air as it hit their studio. Brooks Garner, a meteorologist for the station, was tracking the storm when the camera captured a gray mass of wind and rain approaching the FOX building.
“Get shelter!” Garner yelled as the tornado hit. “Everyone in the FOX 35 building, get to safety, under a table, unless you have a designated shelter. We're picking up debris from the roof right now.”
FOX 35 Orlando staff said the building shook and they heard debris falling on the roof as the tornado passed overhead, FOX Weather reported. No one in the building was hurt, according to the report.
Watch: Tornado hits FOX 35 Orlando studio during live broadcast – YouTube
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Tornadoes are narrow, rapidly rotating columns of air that extend from clouds to the ground during thunderstorms. They are considered some of the most powerful storms on the planet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Severe Storms Laboratory.
Scientists classify the strength of tornadoes using the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF scale), which ranges from EF0 to EF5. The Florida tornado was classified as an EF2, meaning it has wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph (179 to 217 km/h). By comparison, the strongest EF5 tornadoes have wind speeds over 200 mph (322 km/h). The most recent tornado to reach the EF5 category occurred in Moore in 2013, killing 24 people and devastating the town of Moore, Oklahoma.
More tornadoes could develop in the central and southeastern United States later this week. A powerful storm is expected to move across the country from west to east, with the risk of severe thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes in 12 states, including Florida, on Friday and Saturday (March 14-15), according to a statement released by AccuWeather.
“All the conditions are in place for a significant outbreak of severe weather,” Bernie Reynaud, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, said in a statement. “We could see two dozen or more tornadoes by the end of the weekend.”
Sourse: www.livescience.com
