Synopsis
Tornadoes are rare, but there's nothing more frantic or explosive in nature. The team investigates where that awesome power comes from and what happens when it's unleashed, meeting a nine-year-old boy in Alabama who was picked up and thrown by a tornado, plus a UK man who survived the worst one ever to hit this country. Leo puts tornado proof materials to the test in a high velocity lab experiment.
- Programme: Fierce Earth
- Series: 1
- Episode: 8: Tornadoes
- Channel: CBBC
- Broadcast year: 2013
- Geography | Human and physical geography | Climate zones
Licence: ERA Licence required
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
Add Notes
More clips from 08: Tornadoes

Birmingham tornado | Fierce Earth
Birmingham tornado | Fierce Earth
In 2005 a tornado in Birmingham struck a neighbourhood and left it in ruins. Clare meets Nazir who experienced it first hand.

Tornado Alley | Fierce Earth
Tornado Alley | Fierce Earth
Mike describes his experiences in Tornado Alley in middle America where up to 300 tornados can occur every year.

Tornado experience | Fierce Earth
Tornado experience | Fierce Earth
A nine-year-old boy describes his incredible escape from a tornado.

Tornado shelters | Fierce Earth
Tornado shelters | Fierce Earth
Leo is in Texas meeting the scientists who build and test out tornado shelters.

Tornado's wind speed | Fierce Earth
Tornado's wind speed | Fierce Earth
Clare explains why the tornados tunnel shape is the key to such incredible wind speed.

Tracking a tornado | Fierce Earth
Tracking a tornado | Fierce Earth
Mike explains what he does when he tracks a tornado, and the kind of data he records.

What is a tornado? | Fierce Earth
What is a tornado? | Fierce Earth
Mike explains what a tornado is and how it is formed.
More resources about Extreme weather events

Being a storm chaser | Fierce Earth
Being a storm chaser | Fierce Earth
One of the team "chases storms" following hurricanes around the USA, collecting weather data in a specifically built car.

Birmingham tornado | Fierce Earth
Birmingham tornado | Fierce Earth
In 2005 a tornado in Birmingham struck a neighbourhood and left it in ruins. Clare meets Nazir who experienced it first hand.

Dangerous lightning strike | Fierce Earth
Dangerous lightning strike | Fierce Earth
Zoe hears about a UK boy who cheated death after being hit by a lightning strike.

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Leo goes to a firefighting training centre and experiences in a safe setting the actual heat of a wildfire.

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Firefighters uniform | Fierce Earth
Leo details how a firefighters uniform protects people from extreme heat.

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Hailstones | Fierce Earth
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Wildfires are mostly started by human carelessness.

Hurricane Ike | Fierce Earth
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How three young kids lives changed forever when Hurricane Ike destroyed their hometown.

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Hurricanes and damage | Fierce Earth
Hurricanes and damage | Fierce Earth
A list of some of the most devastating hurricanes and their financial damages.

Hurricanes and people | Fierce Earth
Hurricanes and people | Fierce Earth
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Recreating lightning | Fierce Earth
Recreating lightning | Fierce Earth
Mike visits a scientific centre that can recreate a lightning bolt.

S1E1: Hurricanes | Fierce Earth
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The team encounters the most feared event in weather - the hurricane. Florida-based stormchaser Mike takes us on a wild ride into the eye of ...

S1E2: Wildfires | Fierce Earth
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S1E3: World's Hottest | Fierce Earth
S1E3: World's Hottest | Fierce Earth
In this Fierce Earth special, Clare and Leo head to Death Valley in California which is officially the hottest place in the entire world...

S1E6: Thunderstorms | Fierce Earth
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S2E10: Leo's Fiercest Moments | Fierce Earth
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S2E2: Blizzards | Fierce Earth
S2E2: Blizzards | Fierce Earth
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S2E6: Avalanches | Fierce Earth
S2E6: Avalanches | Fierce Earth
The team travel to avalanche country and the French ski town of Tignes, in the Alps. Clare and Dougal go skiing in the shadow of the biggest ...