By far the most vehement storm known on Earth, the tornado has an average life span of no more than half an hour. Yet, during that time, it will expend about as much energy as is used to light the streets of New York City for one night. This updated and revised volume in the Dangerous Weather series explores tornadoes. Organized and written in an easy-to-follow style, author Michael Allaby answers the most important questions students and non-specialists have about tornadoes and he provides a general overview of the current information that shapes the way tornadoes are understood and studied. Featured coverage includes a definition of tornado; discussion about what happens when warm and cold air collide and how wind changes with height; explanations of jet streams, squall lines, thunderstorms, supercells, vortices and angular momentum, dust devils, and waterspouts; answers to questions such as how does a tornado begin, what happens inside a tornado, how does a tornado travel, and how does a tornado die; and a look at when and where tornadoes happen, Tornado Alley, tornadoes in Europe, and tornadoes of the past.