Eon spotted something amazing — a tiny "baby" tornado twirling along. So cute… but what is a tornado?
A spinning tower of air
A tornado is a fast-spinning column of air that stretches from the clouds down to the ground. Big ones are powerful storms. But small, gentle whirlwinds — the "baby" kind — can pop up even on a sunny day, spinning up dust or leaves. (Those little ones are sometimes called dust devils.)
Where does the spin come from?
Warm air near the ground rises, and winds pushing in different directions give it a twist — like water swirling down a drain. Put those together and the air starts to spin into a little funnel.
Try it
Next breezy day, watch for leaves or dust suddenly spinning in a circle — that's the same swirling idea as a tornado, just tiny and safe.