The government of Paraná classified the event, in the interior of the state, as a level meteorological phenomenon. F3 — the third on a scale that measures the intensity of this type of climate event from zero to five.
The tornado that devastated the municipality on Friday (7) has so far left at least five in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu and one in Guarapuava and 437 injured. according to Simepar (Paraná Environmental Technology and Monitoring System).
Amid the scenario of destruction observed in the city of Paraná, the state governor, Junior Mouse (PSD)declared a state of public calamity. The head of the Iguaçu Palace also classified the catastrophe as “unprecedented” in the history of Paraná.
“We are talking about a tornado with winds above 250 km/h. It is difficult for any house and even a commercial building to remain standing. We saw silos falling to the ground, gas stations. So, it really was an unprecedented catastrophe in the history of the state of Paraná”declared Ratinho Jr.
What is a tornado?
Tornadoes are large whirlwinds of wind, columns of air that spin violently until they touch the ground. According to Cemaden (National Center for Monitoring and Alerting of Natural Disasters), the most striking characteristic is the vertical development of the phenomenon, which can reach more than 15 thousand meters in height.
Tornadoes are classified according to their Fujita scale and have five divisions. The lightest causes mild damage and the winds are nothing more than 116 km/h. On the other hand, in the strongest classification, winds can exceed 500 km/h.
How do tornadoes form?
The origin of the phenomenon is not completely known, but it is possible to observe some common elements when a tornado appears.
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, the formation is thought to be dictated primarily by things that happen at the storm scale, in and around the mesocyclone.
Generally, tornadoes form from supercells when certain “ingredients” are present to help them thrive: instability in the atmosphere, which allows air to rise; elevation; and wind shear, which is when winds of different heights blow in different directions.
Wind shear creates a column of air that rotates horizontally within the storm cloud, which, when it touches the ground, is called a tornado.
See images of the destruction:
(Published by Lucas Schroeder, with information from Duda Cambraia, Luisa Nicacio, Marina Toledo and Thiago Felix)
