輕松英語閱讀：龍卷風

Tornados are one of the most frightening weather phenomena on our planet. Not only are they unique in how they form, but also in how they are measured . A tornado’s intensity is defined by the Enhanced Fujita Scale. On this scale, the intensity of the tornado correlates to the damage it produces . Damage on the scale is rated from zero to five, zero being the least destructive and five the most. EF 0 storms are the most common. Their winds are estimated to be from 65 to 85 mph and cause very little damage. At the top of the scale, EF 5 tornadoes are the least common and the most destructive with winds over 200 mph.

The original Fujita Scale was designed by Dr. Tetsuya “Ted” Fujita, a researcher of severe storms from Kitakyushu, Japan. Many scientists the same field agree that his research, carried out at the University of Chicago, revolutionized our knowledge of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and typhoons . He made his greatest contributions in the field of tornadoes , which is how he earned the nickname, Mr. Tornado , from his colleagues.

Mr. Fujita passed away in 1998, but his work is still very important today. With the ability to track storms better and give warnings earlier countless lives have been saved thanks to Dr. Fujita's efforts.