Debris Cloud
A rotating "cloud" of dust or debris, near or on the ground, often appearing beneath a condensation funnel and surrounding the base of a tornado.
DEBRIS CLOUD Considered a rotating cloud of debris or dust that is on the ground or near the ground. The debris cloud appearing beneath a thunderstorm will most likely confirm the presence of a tornado.
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A rotating "cloud" of dust or debris, near or on the ground, often appearing beneath a condensation funnel and surrounding the base of a tornado.
(or Multi-vortex tornado) a tornado in which two or more condensation funnels or debris clouds are present at the same time, often rotating about a common centre or about each other. Multiple-vortex tornadoes can be especially damaging.
People often use the terms tornado and funnel cloud interchangeably. There is however a distinct difference. A condensation funnel is a tornado, not a funnel cloud, if either a) it is in contact with the ground or b) a debris cloud or dust ...
*Multiple-vortex (or Multi-vortex) Tornado - a tornado in which two or more condensation funnels or debris clouds are present at the same time, often rotating about a common center or about each other.
Often it is visible only as a debris cloud or dust whirl near the ground. Gustnadoes are not associated with storm-scale rotation (i.e. mesocyclones); they are more likely to be associated visually with a shelf cloud than with a wall cloud.
A condensation funnel does not need to reach to the ground for a tornado to be present; a debris cloud beneath a thunderstorm is all that is needed to confirm the presence of a tornado, even in the total absence of a condensation funnel.
gustnado"Colloquial expression for a short-lived, shallow, generally weak tornado found along a gust front. Gustnadoes are usually visualized by a rotating dust or debris cloud. See nonsupercell tornado.
Condensation Funnel A funnel-shaped cloud associated with rotation and consisting of condensed water droplets (as opposed to smoke, dust, debris, etc.). Compare with debris cloud.
Conductor Any substance or object which carries electricity.
DUST WHIRL - A cloud of dust and or debris picked up when a tornado is on the ground. Sometimes the visible funnel does not reach the ground, but the presence of the dust whirl often confirms the contact. Called a DEBRIS CLOUD in stronger tornadoes.
or Cb, associated with a rotating column of air that is not in contact with the ground (and hence different from a tornado). A condensation funnel is a tornado, not a funnel cloud, if either a) it is in contact with the ground or b) a debris cloud or ...
 See also: Cloud, Thunder, Tornado, Thunderstorm, Air
  
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