Tornadoes come in many sizes but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris.  Most tornadoes have wind speeds between 40 and 110 mph, are approximately 250 feet across, and travel a few miles before dissipating, yet some attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph, stretch more than a mile across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles.

Although tornadoes have been observed on every continent except Antarctica, most occur in the United States. They also commonly occur in southern Canada, south-central and eastern Asia, east-central South America, Southern Africa, northwestern and southeast Europe, western and southeastern Australia, and New Zealand.

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