MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Geophysical, Atmospheric and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Thursday warned the public of tornadoes during thunderstorms after two twisters were reported in different parts of the country.Nathaniel Cruz, PAGASA deputy administrator, said the formation of tornadoes could not be predicted.
“They can appear very quickly and there is no way to predict where they would strike,” Cruz told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).
The best thing to do, he said, “is to stay indoors when there is cloudy weather, all the more when there are dark clouds. We must also stay alert.”
Cruz said PAGASA sent two meteorologists to the area in the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus that was hit by tornado on Thursday.
“Based on their initial investigation, it was a real tornado. Witnesses said they saw a funnel-shaped column from above descend downward,” he said.
The UP tornado lasted 10 minutes, he said.
“Tornadoes form when there is a strong vertical windshear. When winds roll fast, they start to move from a high altitude going down to the ground. That is what a tornado is,” he said.
Original article from Inquirer.net
