Uncertainties in Tornado Records and Potential Solutions from the Perspective of Damage Surveys
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Graphical Abstract
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Abstract
Confirming tornado occurrence and estimating tornado intensity are quite challenging, especially for long-track tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, because of the inefficiency or absence of on-site damage surveys, especially in sparsely populated regions, which brings about large uncertainties in the tornado record. Some potential methods to alleviate this uncertainty in tornado records have been introduced, such as reports from tornado enthusiasts, trawling of social media sites, and spaceborne photography, which have been shown to be efficient in collecting damage information and depicting the damage swath and ascertaining tornado records. Unmanned aerial vehicles may help in effectively rating tornado intensities. Since 2021, some of these methods have been being tested or are under operation at the China Meteorological Administration Tornado Key Laboratory and the Foshan Tornado Research Center, and have proved to be effective. They have great potential in advancing tornado or downburst damage surveys nationally or worldwide, as well as assessing tornado climatologies, especially in sparsely populated regions such as Northeast China.
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