Engleski A - 2023. jesen, reading 3.

Most people who live in areas in danger of these storms keep a close eye on weather reports and take cover or evacuate when one is on the way. (19)

. When a tornado or hurricane happens, they want to be there to observe and record it.

There are some really good reasons for chasing storms – mainly, scientific research, though a few people make a living selling photographs or footage of storms. There are also several reasons why amateurs shouldn’t go storm chasing, no matter how much fun it looks. For one thing, hours spent driving around with no guarantee of actually seeing a tornado is anything but exciting. But also, storms are very dangerous. Professional storm chasers have meteorological training that allows them to understand the storms they’re chasing. (20)

. They also learn by chasing with other experienced storm chasers. Amateurs should never chase storms. Ever.

To hunt tornadoes, you need to understand them. A tornado is a swirling mass of air that can reach wind speeds above 300 mph. It’s generated from a severe thunderstorm with enough energy and the proper conditions to start a “cyclone” of spinning air. (21)

. Most frequently they tend to happen in the late evening or during the night, when thunderstorms sweeping across the land have picked up energy from the heat of the day.

Storm chasing isn’t non-stop action and danger. It’s actually a very methodical practice that requires lots of time spent studying weather data, driving, waiting and more driving. Before bed and first thing in the morning, storm chasers check weather reports from the National Weather Service (NWS), looking for favourable tornado conditions. Cold air at high altitudes with warm air close to the ground is a promising sign, along with winds at different altitudes blowing in different directions. (22)

. Then they hop into their chase vehicle and start driving.

As they close in on the storm, the chasers will watch for several elements. One is the anticlockwise rotation of clouds that is typical of evidence of strong air currents within the storm. (23)

. They don’t always produce tornadoes, but they’re a sign that one might be forming.

At this point, the chasers might have time to look for a good place to observe the tornado. (24)

. Once a funnel cloud forms and a tornado touches ground, one of the chasers will track its movement by watching it against a stationary background object. A tornado can change direction suddenly, but in general the storm chasers will make sure they can move perpendicular to its path to get away if they need to.