The Fujita Scale

[Astro_man92]

The Fujita Scale (F scale F0-F6)

<F0 - Gale tornado - 40-72 mph>
Some damage to chimneys; breaks branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages sign boards.

<F1 - Moderate tornado - 73-112 mph>
The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages may be destroyed.

<F2 - Significant tornado - 113-157 mph>
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated.

<F3 - Severe tornado - 158-206 mph>
Roof and some walls torn off well constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in fores uprooted

<F4 - Devastating tornado - 207-260 mph>
Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.

<F5 - Incredible tornado - 261-318 mph>
Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel re-inforced concrete structures badly damaged.

<F6 - Inconceivable tornado - 319-379 mph>
These winds are very unlikely. The small area of damage they might produce would probably not be recognizable along with the mess produced by F4 and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds. Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would do serious secondary damage that could not be directly identified as F6 damage. If this level is ever achieved, evidence for it might only be found in some manner of ground swirl pattern, for it may never be identifiable through engineering studies

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Up above I have posted, as you can see, the Fujita scale F0-F6. Many of you may never have heard of the F6. I used to joke about an F6 existing and even though one has never been "recorded" it is in the Fujita scale. Now many of you know of the Fujita scale. I post this because the Fujita scale was meant to categorize tornado damage and estimate wind speed. Well I think it would be nice if they kept the scale but also had two other scales. The two scales that I'm thinking of would probably be labeled DF0-DF6 (Damage Categorization) and WF0-WF6 (Wind speed Categorization). Why you ask, because with the Fujita scale the Tornado is categorized strictly on it's damage and only estimates the wind speed. So in reality a tornado could cause minimal damage but in actuality have had F2 winds, most likely it would be categorized as an F0-F1. Another scenario is a weak F1 could hit a poorly constructed but populated town; it might be categorized as either an F2 or F3. So I think it would be helpful if we had the Fujita scale and the two others that I mentioned (BTW I made those up).

If anyone has any info that they'd like to share either about the Fujita scale or other less known scales please do.

Thoughts and comments on this are very much welcomed.

[P.K.]

As of the 1st Feb the Enhanced Fujita scale is going to be used in the USA.

SCALE WIND ESTIMATE *** (MPH)
F0 65-85
F1 86-110
F2 110-135
F3 136-165
F4 166-200
F5 Over 200

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html

As you are asking about other scales here is the T-Scale which we use in Europe:
http://www.torro.org.uk/TORRO/severeweather/tscale.php

[Extremeweatherguy]

As of the 1st Feb the Enhanced Fujita scale is going to be used in the USA.

SCALE WIND ESTIMATE *** (MPH)
F0 65-85
F1 86-110
F2 110-135
F3 136-165
F4 166-200
F5 Over 200

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html

As you are asking about other scales here is the T-Scale which we use in Europe:
http://www.torro.org.uk/TORRO/severeweather/tscale.php

A T0 on the T-scale seems almost laughable. They should call it a dust devil or a whirlwind NOT a tornado. 32mph winds are not tornado-like to me.

[P.K.]

A T0 on the T-scale seems almost laughable. They should call it a dust devil or a whirlwind NOT a tornado. 32mph winds are not tornado-like to me.

It doesn't go down quite that low.

Land devils and tornadoes are very different things.

[Astro_man92]

Dust Devil Link #1
Dust Devil Link #2
Dudt Devil Movie link #1
Dust Devil Link #3(has alot of dust devil videos)

I think that dust devils can get up to F1-F2 wind speeds

[Extremeweatherguy]

A T0 on the T-scale seems almost laughable. They should call it a dust devil or a whirlwind NOT a tornado. 32mph winds are not tornado-like to me.

It doesn't go down quite that low.

Land devils and tornadoes are very different things.

Oh yes, it is actually 39mph, but still, that kind of tornado is almost too minimal to even be mentioned. I don't think anyone will be injured or killed from a 39mph tornado.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Dust Devil Link #1
Dust Devil Link #2
Dudt Devil Movie link #1
Dust Devil Link #3(has alot of dust devil videos)

I think that dust devils can get up to F1-F2 wind speeds

yes you are right, but the majority of them only have 30-50mph winds. When I lived in Orlando a form of dust devil (but without dust) formed on a hot summer day on the pavement of I-drive (I-drive is a stretch of highway littered with tourist attractions). The dust/land devil must have had 50-60+mph winds as it was strong enough to lift a heavy metal pool umbrella over 500 feet into the air above the highway! The umbrella then came smashing down narrowly missing a truck. I later learned that the umbrella had traveled over half a mile during it's journey. Also, as I was watching the umbrella, the dying vortex (dust devil) came through some nearby trees. The wind was strong enough to snap small to medium sized branches and send the trees into a full bend, garbage cans were also flipped and garbage was lifted into the air and thrown. It was a scary sight indeed and totally unexpected on a sunny day.

[Astro_man92]

Wow I wonder if that made the local or statewide news

[Extremeweatherguy]

Wow I wonder if that made the local or statewide news

no I saw no mention of it on the news that day. It was such a localized and random event and lasted less than 10 minutes. The only people that saw it had to have been in the area as it happened. I guess I just got lucky in seeing it, but it was weird. I mean 50-60mph winds out of nowhere on a warm snd sunny summer day was not expected.

[WindRunner]

I've always though that Torro's scale is much nicer, and I'd like to see it brought over sometime. Though it would be an adjustment the public would have to make, I think it would be worth it in the long run, both for the general public and the weather community.

[senorpepr]

Actually, the "real" Fujita scale goes to F12--Mach 1 speeds

[jkt21787]

As P.K. hinted to, the Fujita scale won't be around much longer, at least in its original form. I've been able to confirm through the NWS that the new Enhanced F-Scale doesn't go into effect until Feb 2007, not 2006. NWS offices will be trained this upcoming fall on the new changes (and there are major changes).

Overall, it won't have a huge effect on the numbers with the accountance of over two dozen damage potential factors and a lowering of wind thresholds with new research. Old tornadoes will NOT be re-evaluated using the new scale, either. They will retain their old F-scale rating.

[P.K.]

The SPC site says Feb this year, strange.

Why not start using it at the beginning of the year though rather than one month in? Also if they don't relook at previous TNs then the database isn't exactly continuous for research)