The table compares two of the most dangerous natural meteorological phenomena - tornadoes and hurricanes. Although both are extremely destructive, hurricanes can be predicted and action taken to avoid loss of life, while tornadoes can strike with very little warning.
Hurricanes differ from tornadoes in many respects. One difference is speed. To be classified as a hurricane, a storm must be between 74 mph and 200. Tornadoes however can be both much weaker, at 40 mph, and much stronger, at 300 mph. Hurricanes are much bigger in scale than tornadoes. They can affect an area of 300 miles, compared to only a few hundred meters for tornadoes.
Fortunately, hurricanes are much less frequent than tornadoes, with only 100 worldwide per year, compared to over 1000 tornadoes annually in the USA alone. In addition, hurricanes can be predicted with some accuracy up to 6-10 hours before they hit. Because of these differences, tornadoes and hurricanes are measured on different scales. Scientists measure hurricanes on the Saffir Simpson scale from C1 to C5, while tornadoes are measured on the Fujita scale.
In conclusion, the table shows that, despite the differences between the two types of storm, scientists are gradually learning more about each. If their efforts at prediction become even more successful, many tragedies caused by these overwhelming powers of nature could be avoided.
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