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No tornado! Sometimes appearances are deceptive ...

Occasionally, there are cloud formations on thunderstorm days which might easily be misinterpreted as a tornado. On this page, such cases are presented and explained. If you happen to have taken photographs of such deceiving cases, please do send pictures thereof to the TorDACH webmaster.


Example 1:

Gilching, 20 Jun 2003, 1053 UTC   Gilching, 20 Jun 2003, 1055 UTC   Gilching, 20 Jun 2003, 1058 UTC
Fig. 1: Gilching near Munich, 20 June 2003 (a) 1053, (b) 1055, (c) 1058 UTC. Copyright: N. Dotzek, 2003.

The Figs. 1a,b appear to be unambiguous photographs of a funnel cloud beneath a small wall cloud. It only becomes apparent from Fig. 1c that it is in reality only a collar-shaped cloud at the leading edge of a precipitation outflow: Here, moist and warm air from near the earth's surface is being lifted while the cumulonimbus progresses. This air has a significantly lower condensation level. It was only due to the photographer's point of view that the photos appeared to document a funnel cloud.


Example 2:

Place unknown, dd May 2004
Fig. 2: Place unknown, dd Mai 2004. Copyright: J. Moschko, 2004

The Fig. 2 shows a typical structure at the base of turbulent convective clouds. It looks like the onset of a funnel cloud, but it was just a short-lived phenomenon without rotation.


Example 3:

Großer Arber, 01 Jun 2004
Fig. 3: Großer Arber, 1 June 2004. Copyright: C. Hinz, 2004

The Fig. 3 shows a more developed case than Fig. 2. This extended, but again short-lived and rotationless fractus cloud can - with a similar point of view as in Fig. 1 - easily be confused with a well-developed funnel cloud.


Example 4:

Munderkingen, 02 Jun 2004, (1)   Munderkingen, 02 Jun 2004, (2)   Munderkingen, 02 Jun 2004, (3)
Fig. 4: Munderkingen, 2 June 2004. Copyright: S. Stökler, www.gewitternews.de, 2004.

The Figs. 2a-c appear to depict the formation of a strongly-sloped tornado funnel. This development caused considerable sensation with several eyewitnesses. However, the rapidly rising and densifying Cu frac above a small forest north of the B311 highway near Munderkingen did not show any signs of rotation. Certainly, this phenomenon was merely caused by small-scale ascent of exceptionally moist air from very near the ground, and subsequent condensation into the Cu frac "funnel".


Example 5:

Bad Soden, 16 Jun 2004, 0320 UTC
Fig. 5: Bad Soden, 16 June 2004, 0320 UTC. Copyright: D. Gräff, 2004

The Fig. 5 shows a condensation trail (contrail) at sunrise. Caused by the unusual perspective, it appears to be aligned almost vertically, to taper towards its lower end, and to be connected with the clouds in the foreground.


Example 6:

Sauerland, 19 Jun 2004   Sauerland, 19 Jun 2004   Sauerland, 19 Jun 2004   Sauerland, 19 Jun 2004   Sauerland, 19 Jun 2004
Fig. 6: Sauerland, 19 June 2004. Copyright: P. Niesczeri, www.sauerlandwetter.de, 2004.

The Figs. 6a-e show - no, not a significant tornado - but a very interesting cloud structure over hilly terrain which developed ahead of a cold front approaching from NW. There was no rotation and no thunderstorm nearby. What exactly caused this striking phenomenon has not been clarified completely. Maybe it was extremely moist air lifted from a valley ground in a narrow updraft?


Example 7:

Gilching, 5 Jul 2005, 1841 UTC   Gilching, 5 Jul 2005, 1856 UTC
Abb. 7: Gilching near Munich, 5 July 2005 (a) 1841 UTC and (b) 1856 UTC. Copyright: N. Dotzek, 2005.

The Figs. 7a,b appear to be unambiguous photographs of a funnel cloud beneath a small wall cloud. But as in Fig. 1, this was in reality only a collar-shaped cloud at the leading edge of a precipitation outflow: The corresponding gust front reached the photo site at about 1915 UTC. It was only due to the photographer's point of view that the photos appeared to document a funnel cloud.


Finally, we repeat the request to send in similar pictures of "false" tornadoes to the TorDACH webmaster. Thanks!