This feature of a severe storm is called a mesocyclone. This large area of rotation in a storm, over time, can send energy down to the ground in the shape of tornadoes. Val Kilmer, 'Top Gun' and ...

Supercell thunderstorms are common in Missouri during severe weather season. This unique type of storm that involves a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone.

A tornado touches down. Morgan Schneider/OU CIMMS/NOAA NSSL Chris Nowotarski, Texas A&M University Meteorologists began ...

"What makes a supercell unique from all other thunderstorm types is that it contains a deep and persistent rotating updraft ...

The National Weather Service emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between radar-indicated and observed tornadoes for effective safety responses.

Tornadoes that are produced from supercell thunderstorms are the most common and usually the most dangerous tornadoes, ...

The storm was likely a parent mesocyclone with four or five separate tornadoes in a single path, the longest of which were 174 and 151 miles in length. The city of Murphysboro, Ill., was all but ...

This clash causes atmospheric instability and strong wind shear. As warm, moist air rises rapidly, the wind shear can tilt the horizontal rotation vertically, forming a mesocyclone, a spinning column ...

Severe storms, tornadoes, and heavy rain have caused devastation in the Mid-South, with at least five fatalities and widespread damage. A flood watch is in effect through Sunday morning due to the ...