mesocyclone
Thunderstorm's spinning core
A mesocyclone is a rotating updraft within a severe thunderstorm, typically several miles in diameter.
It forms when wind shear causes air to spin horizontally, then tilts vertical as the storm develops.
Mesocyclones are the precursors to most significant tornadoes and appear on Doppler radar as a characteristic rotation signature.
The storm spotter reported a mesocyclone developing on the storm's southwest flank.
Rotating severe thunderstorm
- wall cloudRotating lowered cloud base
- updraftUpward air movement
- downdraftDescending air current
- anvil cloudFlat-topped storm formation
mammatus · cumulonimbus · thunderhead · vault · beaver tail
Violent rotating windstorm
- funnel cloudRotating condensation pendant
- twisterRotating destructive windstorm
- touchdownSix-point gridiron play
- wall cloudRotating lowered cloud base
cyclic · tornado warning · outbreak · supercell · TDS · genesis · occlusion · intensification
Rotating severe thunderstorm
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- severe weatherDangerous atmospheric phenomena
- hailIcy precipitation pellets
- downburstSudden descending windstorm
microburst · derecho · squall line · convective · mesoscale · troposphere · jet stream · dryline
Turning on an axis
- shearLateral sliding force
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
buoyancy · lifting · latent heat · entrainment · convergence · divergence · angular momentum · tilting
Radio-wave object detection
- DopplerMotion-caused frequency change
- reflectivityLight-bouncing capacity
- signatureHandwritten name for verification
- storm spotterTrained severe weather reporter
supercell
Rotating severe thunderstorm
- wall cloudRotating lowered cloud base
- updraftUpward air movement
- downdraftDescending air current
anvil cloud · mammatus · cumulonimbus · thunderhead · vault · beaver tail
tornado
Violent rotating windstorm
- funnel cloudRotating condensation pendant
- twisterRotating destructive windstorm
- touchdownSix-point gridiron play
wall cloud · cyclic · tornado warning · outbreak · supercell · TDS · genesis · occlusion · intensification · dissipation
supercell
Rotating severe thunderstorm
- thunderstormViolent weather with lightning
- severe weatherDangerous atmospheric phenomena
- hailIcy precipitation pellets
downburst · microburst · derecho · squall line · convective · mesoscale · troposphere · jet stream · dryline · cold front
rotation
Turning on an axis
- shearLateral sliding force
- wind shearRapid atmospheric velocity shift
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
instability · buoyancy · lifting · latent heat · entrainment · convergence · divergence · angular momentum · tilting · stretching
radar
Radio-wave object detection
- DopplerMotion-caused frequency change
- reflectivityLight-bouncing capacity
- signatureHandwritten name for verification
mesocyclonefair weather
Pleasant, dry climate
laminar flow · clear skies · subsidence · temperature inversion
cyclone, cyclones, cycloid, cyclonic, mesosphere, cyclorama, cyclogenesis, mesomorph, cyclometer