What is a meso cyclone?

Answer 1

A mesocyclone is a vortex inside of a supercell thunderstorm, which is what can produce funnel clouds and tornadoes. You can see a mesocyclonic thunderstorm on radar by looking for a "Hook Echo" which is a comma shaped area of the storm

Answer 2

Mesocyclones are the powerful, rotating updrafts of a particularly strong type of thunderstorm called a supercell. It is the mesocyclone that tightens, intensifies, and extends towards the ground to form a tornado.

Answer 3

A mesocyclone is a strong, rotating updraft found withing a powerful thunderstorm called a supercell. A typical mesocyclone is 2 to 6 miles across. In many cases a mesocyclone is a precursor to a tornado.

A mesocyclone forms withing a thunderstorm as a result of wind shear, or a change in wind speed and direction with altitude. For a northern Hemisphere supercell this would normally involve wind near the ground coming out of the west while stronger winds at higher altitudes come out of the south, creating a counterclockwise shift in wind direction with increasing altitude. The causes the updraft of a thunderstorm (in which air rises) to take on a counterclockwise rotation. The process is similar in the southern hemisphere, only there the upper level winds are out of the north, resulting in clockwise rotation.

Answer 4

First, a condition called wind shear, in which the speed or direction of the wind changes with altitude. If the shear is strong enough it can essentially tilt a thunderstorm, this separates the updraft and downdraft of the thunderstorm, preventing them from interfering with one another. This allows the storm to become stronger and last longer.

Additionally, if the wind shear is strong enough it can start the air rolling in what is called horizontal vorticity. This horizontal vorticity can then be turned vertical by a thunderstorm's updraft. When this happens, the thunderstorm may start rotating. The rotation is especially strong in an updraft called a mesocyclone.

Answer 5

A mesocyclone is the powerful, rotating updraft of a particularly strong type of thunderstorm called a supercell. It is from the mesocyclone of a supercell that a tornado develops.

Answer 6

Mesocyclones are located in the updraft portion of a supercell thunderstorm. This is usually in the rear half of the storm.