Can a severe thunderstorm turn into a tornado?
Photo Credit: Courtesy of 3DStockPhoto (can image)
A tornado descends from the mesocyclone of a thunderstorm over New Mexico. Tornadoes don't just pop into existence -- they develop out of thunderstorms, where there's already a steady, upward flow of warm, low-pressure air to get things started. It's kind of like when a rock concert erupts into a riot.