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Severe Weather 2025

The more I think about this there’s more to it that isn’t adding up - for example, a tornado would most certainly magnetize leftover objects that are capable of becoming magnetized, which I don’t think has ever been observed, and also compass needles would be pulled towards tornadic circulations, which has also never been observed and I feel like would have most certainly been seen at least once before. I’m sorry, but this idea just has a lot of holes in it.

As for the kinetic energy output of tornadoes, those numbers are really in line with what I expected for the kinetic energy of the extremely violent long trackers, and it doesn’t leave much room for any potential electromagnetic energy to be incorporated into a total energy calculation here. Surface level digging on Wikipedia reveals that if said numbers are to be taken at face value, Yazoo City released as much kinetic energy as an average hurricane does in a day, which honestly doesn’t sound entirely outlandish to me, given its extraordinary ferocity and long-tracked nature. It is power concentrated over a much tinier area, and for less time, but I think they could definitely be comparable there.
 
SPC monitoring for possible WW issuance later in western TN/KY.
Mesoscale Discussion 0440
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1255 PM CDT Thu Apr 10 2025

Areas affected...far southeast Missouri into parts of Kentucky and
Tennessee

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible

Valid 101755Z - 102030Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...60 percent

SUMMARY...Storms will increase in coverage and intensity through the
afternoon, with areas of damaging wind and sporadic hail expected.

DISCUSSION...Strong heating continues ahead of a cold front and
beneath very cold temperatures aloft with the shortwave trough. An
expanding mass of convection is already developing ahead of the
frontal surge over southeast MO, and this will develop rapidly
southeastward into KY and TN. Very steep lapse rates and moderate
deep-layer mean winds should support accelerating cold pools, while
straight hodographs and cold temperatures aloft support hail
production.

..Jewell/Gleason.. 04/10/2025
 
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The more I think about this there’s more to it that isn’t adding up - for example, a tornado would most certainly magnetize leftover objects that are capable of becoming magnetized, which I don’t think has ever been observed, and also compass needles would be pulled towards tornadic circulations, which has also never been observed and I feel like would have most certainly been seen at least once before. I’m sorry, but this idea just has a lot of holes in it.

Great points. No need to apologize! I wasn't supporting the theory so much as I was presenting it for discussion/scrutiny. I agree that it seems quite far-fetched with the points you've raised. It's cool being able to post stuff like this and get immediate input from a physics major. This place rocks!

Here's some more studies I found if you're feeling curious and want to dig deeper on the topic. This isn't me arguing in favor for electro-magnetic tornado genesis. Just providing resources for further consideration. I concede to your expertise and interpretation of this stuff.

1. Electric field and Lorentz force contribution to atmospheric vortex phenomena

2. An electric force facilitator in descending vortex tornadogenesis


3. An Electromagnetic Basis for the Initiation of a Tornado

4. Electrical Discharges and intense vortices (attached PDF)

5. Electric signals generated by tornados

6. On the role of electromagnetic phenomena in some atmospheric processes

Here's two more that are behind a paywall, but you may be able to access through your university?

7. Electric Currents Accompanying Tornado Activity

8. On the geo-electromagnetic aspects of tornado initiation

Lastly, here's an excerpt from an article by New Science Magazine. It's from 2009, but articles 5 and 6 are more recent and seem to follow up on these findings.

Electrical storm signatures could make tornado test

"Tornado hunters may have a new, unlikely ally – electricity. Armed with only an antenna mounted on top of a vehicle and a simple receiver, researchers have been able to pick up low-frequency electromagnetic waves – a possible sign that a tornado is brewing. The frequency of the signal should even be able to tell them the ferocity of the storm.

The team – Ernst Schmitter from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck in Germany and his colleague, John Leeman from the Leeman Webb Storm Laboratory – picked up the signals while investigating a type of rotating storm known as a 'supercell'.

About 30% of these spinning storms spawn tornadoes as the vortex descends towards the ground. Schmitter and Leeman say that it is this swirling action that generates the electromagnetic radiation."
 

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Another watch forthcoming for parts of MS/AL and perhaps western GA. Storms are forming in TN.
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That’s certainly a look.

Not related, but has anyone else’s like button mechanics changed? I have to “confirm” my like and I also no longer have the option for laughing faces etc
I've had the confirm thing a few times, but it always happens when I'm having weird connectivity issues, which I am also currently having.

Also, some solid hail going on with this storm north of HSV already. Not much in the way of a tornado threat with straight hodos, but it also has a pretty little hook.
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Severe Thunderstorm Watch out now for northern MS/AL and a tiny part of TN/AR. 60/30 probs for both winds and hail.
 
@slenker I did some research on residual magnetism left behind by tornadoes and it appears there's no evidence of that happening. But I did accidentally stumble onto an interesting tidbit in this study by NASA.

"A search for residual magnetism was made along the damage path of a strong tornado that passed through a residential section of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, on January 23, 1969. Over 3000 gauss-meter readings were taken on nailheads in 24 frame buildings at various points on both sides of the damage path, but no evidence of residual magnetism attributable to the tornado was found. A statistical analysis of the data from seven of the buildings showed that an upper bound on possible axial dc electric current in the tornado was 3900 amperes at touchdown and 6100 amperes during its most intense phase. Residual magnetism measurements also indicated that transient electric currents of about 135 and 300 amperes had occurred in ground wires connected to the electric-meter boxes on two buildings."

There's a little bit of verification on the 100-250 amperes claim made in the paywalled study.

I may be misinterpreting this next excerpt, but it seems to be saying 10 million amperes would be required to create a hydro electro-magnet so that may explain why the magnetic field isn't strong enough to have a measurable impact on metal objects.

"These upper-bound values do not support the hydromagnetic vortex hypothesis, which requires l0^6 to 10^7 amperes and was suggested by Costen (Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, vol. 49, Dec. 1968 and NASA TN D-5964) as possibly relevant to tornadoes. The data are inconclusive concerning the suggestion by Silberg (J. Atmos. Sci.,vol. 23, Mar. 1966) that strong alternating electric currents may exist in tornadoes."

I did find some anecdotal evidence of tornadoes affecting compasses though, so that can't be ruled out. Heavy rain and snow also affects them.
 
Yet another Severe Thunderstorm Watch forthcoming, this one for eastern TN and northern GA.
 
Severe Thunderstorm Watch out now for northern MS/AL and a tiny part of TN/AR. 60/30 probs for both winds and hail.

Welp.. had a tornado
 

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Repeating what my thoughts from last night: this sucks.
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
720 PM EDT Thu Apr 10 2025

GAC015-057-067-115-223-233-110000-
/O.CON.KFFC.SV.W.0104.000000T0000Z-250411T0000Z/
Paulding GA-Cherokee GA-Cobb GA-Floyd GA-Polk GA-Bartow GA-
720 PM EDT Thu Apr 10 2025

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT
FOR NORTHEASTERN PAULDING...SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE...NORTHWESTERN
COBB...SOUTHEASTERN FLOYD...NORTHEASTERN POLK AND SOUTHERN BARTOW
COUNTIES...

At 720 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Aragon, or 11
miles east of Cedartown, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Two inch hail.

SOURCE...Emergency management.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect damage
to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles.

Locations impacted include...
Rockmart, Fish Creek, Burnt Hickory Ridge, Kellogg Creek, Red Top
Mountain State Park, Oak Grove, Kennesaw State University, Aragon,
Acworth, Euharlee, Emerson, Van Wert, George Washington Carver St Pk,
Seney, Cross Roads, Due West, Stilesboro, Braswell, Kennesaw, and
Taylorsville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3398 8517 3411 8519 3419 8464 3407 8456
3395 8462
TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 268DEG 36KT 3406 8506

THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL THREAT...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH
 
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