Tornado vs. twister: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Tornado is the formal meteorological term, while twister is a colloquial term often used informally.
What they have in common
Both refer to a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground.
Examples
tornado
- The tornado caused significant damage to the town.
- We took shelter in the basement when we heard a tornado was approaching.
twister
- The movie ‘Twister’ depicts storm chasers tracking a series of twisters in Oklahoma.
- A twister touched down in the rural farmland, causing minimal damage.
Which one is more common?
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