Windmill, Supecell Formation
A windmill standing alone against a supercell thunderstorm. Leedey, Oklahoma. April 17, 2002. A windmill is any of various machines for grinding, pumping, etc., driven by the force of the wind acting upon a number of vanes or sails. A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, continuously-rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms. Of the four classifications of thunderstorms (supercell, squall line, multi-cell, and single-cell), supercells are the overall least common and have the potential to be the most severe. Supercells are often isolated from other thunderstorms, and can dominate the local climate up to 20 miles away. Supercells can occur anywhere in the world under the right pre-existing weather conditions, but they are most common in the Great Plains of the United States.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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