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Developing tornado in a supercell thunderstorm. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air characterised by a funnel-shaped cloud that forms within thunderstorms. They can measure up to 100 metres in diameter, contain winds moving at over 500 kilometres an hour, and cause widespread devastation. This one developed into an F3 tornado (indicating winds between 251-330 kilometres per hour). F3 tornadoes cause severe damage to houses, uproot trees and are capable of picking a car off the ground and throwing it. The storm also produced giant hailstones. Tornadoes are most common in the mid-west USA. Photographed on 12 June 2004 in Mulvane, Kansas, USA. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Jim Reed) === ===