The Hakaluki Haore Tornado sent a plume of water into the sky
Meteorologists have started collecting information about the tornado that formed in Hakaluki Hawar of Moulvibazar, Bangladesh. But initially they thought that it could not become very strong due to being made in water.
Video and pictures of the tornado that formed in Hakaluki Hawar on Saturday afternoon have spread on social media.
However, no damage was reported in the Hakaluki Hawar tornado.
Tornadoes of Hakaluki Hawar
In the video, a tall column of water rises from the water of Hakaluki Haor towards the sky. The sky turned black and the lightning roared. That column of water is moving by pulling the water of Haor.
Some local residents took pictures and video of the tornado. Those videos have gone viral on social media.
Sayed Ahmed Chowdhury, a senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Department, Sylhet, told BBC Bangla that we have confirmed that the video that was seen was a tornado. Now we have started working there to gather more information on this matter.
Officials said the tornado lasted about an hour.
Ismail Hossain, a resident of Ghilachhara Union, saw the tornado in Haor on Saturday afternoon. He says, "I was sitting next to Haor in the afternoon. Suddenly, I saw a thin line rising up in the water. I have never seen such a scene. After a few hours it fades into darkness.''
Such tornadoes are often 10/12 km wide and can travel at speeds ranging from 60 to 200 km per hour.
Mr. Chowdhury says that tornadoes that form only over water are not as powerful. But when a tornado is formed on land or water and land, it sometimes becomes stronger.
Meteorologist Saeed Ahmed Chowdhury says, "Such tornadoes draw water and lift it up to form clouds. Later it came down again as rain. Many times it raises water in the sky and releases it again.''
"Many times with such tornadoes, the fish in the water also rise up. Later it is seen falling to the ground again with the rain.''
He hypothesized that the tornadoes were caused by the extreme heat causing the surface water temperature in the Haor to rise. At that time a vortex is formed as the surrounding cold air comes in to fill the void. This is how tornadoes are formed.
However, no damage was reported in the Hakaluki Hawar tornado.
Tornado in Bangladesh
Tornadoes usually occur in North America and Africa, but tornadoes also occur in other continents.
Bangladesh has a lesser history of tornadoes in the past.
Tornadoes do not originate at sea, but can occur anywhere. Tornadoes are heard every year in Bangladesh.
Apart from Bangladesh, tornadoes are more frequent in West Bengal of India and one region of the United States.
The worst tornado in the history of the country happened in Saturia of Manikganj on 26th April 1989.
More than 1,000 people died and at least 10,000 were injured in that tornado.
According to the locals, Saturia was reduced to rubble in just one minute around five o'clock in the afternoon that day.
Besides, there were major tornadoes in Brahmanbaria in 2013 and in Netrakona in 2014. However, small tornadoes are often heard in all parts of the country every year.
Mainly from March to May things like Tornado, Kalboishakhi, Hail or Hail with rain are seen in Bangladesh.
How are tornadoes formed?
Generally, when low pressure or low pressure is formed in a place, the warm air of that place rises up and then the cold air from all around rushes in to fill the empty space. Like Kalvaishakhi, this is how tornadoes originate.
A tornado is a mass of air that forms a vortex at high angular velocity. One head is on the surface of the earth, the other part is inside the cumulonimbus cloud.
It spins at high speed.
This short-lived cyclone draws everything in its path and gradually grows stronger. At this time, the tornado moves forward, destroying everything in its path.
And in most cases, tornadoes look like narrow funnels, with the thin end touching the ground. Although tornadoes can be of different shapes and sizes.
Sometimes a single tornado can form multiple tornadoes called tornado families.
Difference between Kalabaisakhi, Cyclone and Tornado
Cyclone and Tornado are both storms. Both storms rotate counterclockwise.
But the big difference between the two is that a tornado is a long column of air. Occurs over a specific area.
Tornadoes can form anywhere. However, cyclones form in the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
A prediction is made that the low pressure, low pressure etc. phases pass before the cyclone is formed. But tornadoes are generally unpredictable. Tornadoes can form anywhere at any time.