Weather Karaoke: The anatomy of a tornado

AccuWeather

In this segment of Weather Karaoke, AccuWeather's Ariella Scalese discusses the anatomy of a tornado. Does a tornado really sound like a freight train?

Transcript

00:00And welcome back to Weather Karaoke, where we explore the fascinating science behind

00:11popular song lyrics.

00:13With recent severe weather and more to come next week, we're taking a closer look at a

00:16lyric from a newer Luke Combs song that was in the soundtrack from a very popular movie.

00:22Maybe you've seen it.

00:23It's about twisters.

00:24Tornadoes are often described as sounding like a freight train, but why is that?

00:30Let's dive deeper into a meteorological explanation.

00:37A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.

00:42It's accompanied by powerful winds that can exceed 200 miles per hour.

00:47The intense winds and rapid rotation create a continuous roar, as you heard there, as

00:52the tornado moves, and this roar is due to the turbulent airflow and the debris being

00:57picked up and thrown around.

01:00The sound of a tornado, like a freight train, is a mix of low frequency rumbles and higher

01:05frequency noises.

01:07These low frequencies can travel long distances, allowing people far away from the tornado

01:13to actually hear it.

01:14This resembles a sound, and why many people say that tornadoes do sound like freight trains.

01:20Another factor is the Doppler effect, which occurs when a tornado is moving towards or

01:25away from the observer.

01:27This effect can change the pitch of the sound, much like the changing pitch of a train whistle

01:31as it passes on by.

01:33Wind direction and the tornado's path can also influence the sound.

01:37If the wind is blowing towards you from the tornado, it can carry the sound further, making

01:42it more pronounced.

01:43On the other hand, if the wind is blowing away, it can dampen the sound.

01:47The comparison of a freight train is not just about the ground, the sound, but also the

01:52ground shaking sensation and the feeling of an approaching tornado also resembles the

01:58vibrations and rumbling of a passing train.

02:01So Luke Combs' lyric does capture a real atmospheric phenomenon that adds to the haunting and evocative

02:07nature of his song.

02:09So the next time you hear someone describe a tornado sounding like a long, dark train,

02:13you'll know there's real science behind that comparison.

02:16Remember, I am taking requests.

02:18What weather-related songs do you want me to dive into next?

02:21You can send your suggestions to me at ariela.skelise at AccuWeather.com, or you can message me

02:26on social media.

02:28That's weather karaoke on AccuWeather.

Category

Transcript

Recommended