A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderous cloud to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of up to 300 mph. They can destroy large buildings, uproot trees and hurl vehicles hundreds of yards.
Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (177Â km/h), are about 250 feet (76Â m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometres) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes stretch more than two miles (3.2Â km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100Â km)
Tornadoes have been observed on every continent except Antarctica. However, the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the Tornado Alley region of the US. They also occasionally occur in south-central and eastern Asia, northern and east-central South America, Southern Africa, north-western and southeast Europe, western and south-eastern Australia, and New Zealand.