Storm spawns tornadoes across southern USA
A storm which struck southern parts of the USA on Friday spawned two tornadoes across parts of the USA. Over 100 homes were destroyed by one tornado, categorised as level 1, the lowest on the Fujita scale, packing winds of 86- 95mph (134-153 kph). The scale rates the intensity of the tornado in relation to the wind speed, with the highest category 5 referring to a tornado with winds of over 260mph (418kph). A tornado is a strong rotating column of air which is in contact with both the cloud and surface of the earth.
Earlier on Thursday the storm also generated a tornado across Mississippi, causing widespread destruction across the state. The storm approached Virginia and Maryland late Thursday night. At the start of the weekend, the eye of the storm remains over a number of southern states. However, over the coming days the storm looks set to track east, heading offshore into the Atlantic.
