When is a tornado mini?

[RWood]

Uisng the odious media term "mini-tornado" just about qualifies one for a lynching on the UKWW website!

[ATO2]

Originally Posted by RWood

Uisng the odious media term "mini-tornado" just about qualifies one for a lynching on the UKWW website!

Made for the media:
I was thinking about that- you are the sub-editor and you have two headlines to play with:

1. Mini -tornado rips roofs


or

2. Strong gust of wind blows tiles off roofs

Well, I fear that the mini-tornado is going to be showing at a theatre near you for a long season!
LOL

[Grant]

Like Brian says, this term gets you lynched in the UK, but is it quite the same in NZ? What qualifies as a "mini tornado"? Is there such a thing?

Sure its a media term, but it sure isn't a meteorological term, and I for one hate it. And I presume so do the victims .

What are your thoughts?

[rainfan]

I intensely dislike the word "mini" being added to tornado. A tornado is a tornado no matter how big or small it is.

[Grant]

Ooh, looks like we can now get a first hand account on why the term "mini tornado" is used, and more importantly what one is

Head weather analyst, Philip Duncan, says this storm has the potential to be destructive to lives and property.

"There'll be damaging gales in central and eastern areas, heavy hail and thunderstorms along the North Island's west coast, the risk of mini tornadoes along the entire west coast and snow to low levels in the South Island. This week people need to pay close attention to the details".

from Weather Watch | New Zealand's only regular weather news source

[Philip Duncan]

Haha - I was waiting to get attacked by the weather nuts by using that term!!

AT02 got it in one!

Its very hard to explain what a squall is...and lets be honest that's really all it is. I usually use the term "small tornado"...MetService uses the term "weak" tornado. I'm not a fan of using weak...to make it's like saying "weak gale force winds"...which sounds a bit contradictory...I'm being a bit pedantic I guess.

The dictionary confirms that a tornado is:
- A violent storm with winds whirling around a small area of low pressure.
- A small but violent squall or whirlwind (bingo!)
- Any violently active or destructive person or thing.

So technically we can use the term - but I can understand why scientists and meteorologists would find it an offensive term to use.

Personally, I love to make the weather easy to understand. It's not dumbing it down, but it's not about making it too technical.

Now....feel free to attack me!!
:-)
Cheers
Phil.

[Grant]

Not attacking you, but I know plenty who would

That seems a little contradictory. Sure tornado = A small but violent squall.

But seeing as the dictionary already indicates a small squall, why do you need to add mini, when it has exactly the same affect as saying "weak gale force winds"?

It will be interesting to see how it pans out when others contribute to the thread, which I'm happy for them to do (as long as they don't get nasty). Of course, this can be expanded to all terminology, not just mini tornado.

[Philip Duncan]

So you'd prefer we just said "Tornado"? and dropped "mini" or "small" in front of it?

[Grant]

Yes definately. 100%
A tornado is a tornado (or a small violent squall) lol

[Philip Duncan]

Ahhhh...I was just always worried that if I said "Tornadoes" people would conjure up images of the movie Twister with trucks and cows going flying!