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The rear flank downdraft (RFD) is a region of dry air wrapping around the back of a mesocyclone in a supercell thunderstorm. [1] These areas of descending air are thought to be essential in the production of many supercellular tornadoes. Large hail within the rear flank downdraft often shows up brightly as a hook on weather radar images ...
For a tornado to form in this manner, a rear-flank downdraft enters the center of the mesocyclone from the back. Cold air, being denser than warm air, is able to penetrate the updraft. The combination of the updraft and downdraft completes the development of a tornado. Tornadoes that form in this method are often violent and can last over an ...
The rear flank downdraft of a supercell is a very complex and not yet fully understood feature. RFDs mainly occur within classic and HP supercells although RFDs have been observed within LP supercells. The RFD of a supercell is believed to play a large part in tornadogenesis by tightening existing rotation within the surface mesocyclone.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted by a local NWS forecast office or indicated by weather radar and there is imminent danger to life and property. How are tornadoes confirmed?
Therefore, in most cases, the RFD is responsible for both the birth and the death of a tornado. Usually, but not always, the dry slot occlusion is visible (assuming one's line of sight is not blocked by precipitation) throughout the tornado life cycle. The wall cloud withers and will often be gone by the time the tornado dissipates.
The forward flank downdraft (FFD) also seems to be warmer within tornadic supercells than in non-tornadic supercells. [ 7 ] Many envision a top-down process in which a mid-level mesocyclone first forms and couples with a low-level mesocyclone or tornadocyclone, with a vortex then forming below the cloud base and becoming a concentrated vortex ...
Authorities in Logan County are dealing with a mass casualty incident from a suspected tornado that struck a trailer park near Indian Lake, located about 70 miles northwest of Columbus.
A rotating wall cloud with rear flank downdraft clear slot evident to its left rear. Storm spotters are trained to discern whether a storm seen from a distance is a supercell. [8] They typically look to its rear, the main region of updraft and inflow. [8]