Los Tiempos reports today about the tornado that hit Cochabamba on 11/16/11. The photo shows repairing works in Pucara – taken by José Rocha Los Tiempos.
The tornado that swept roofs and walls of 20 houses was FO category, according to the Fujita scale, which reached a tangential velocity of 100 to 140 kilometers per hour, reported yesterday AASANA chief meteorologist, Jorge Aldunate. The report is based on the study that a team of meteorologists made the day after the tornado, in the four affected areas.
The study was based on meteorological data and physical, as well as remnants of previous similar phenomena who were probably not witnessed and intensity was not reported prior to Wednesday.
According to the Fujita scale, which provides a range of 0 to 6, an F0 tornado is mild and has the intensity of a storm. It is capable of destroying chimneys, branches, small trees, basic infrastructure and traffic signals.
Although the destruction of roofs and walls collapsing are unique to a category F1 tornado, the head of Meteorology said that the damages were considered because the buildings are not built to withstand tornadoes and mostly were precarious constructions.
He announced that next week will meet in Cochabamba, meteorologists from the country to analyze this new climate phenomenon that has already occurred at least three times: twice in El Alto and one in Cochabamba.
The preconditions for the development of the tornado that occurred, and as observed by the airport observatory were: southwest winds with intensity of 10 kph, the temperature was 28 degrees Celsius and relative humidity of 39 percent.
It began in the area of Pampa San Miguel, southeast, and moved northwest to reach Champarrancho behind the airport, where he lost power and fade away.
Initial post on this unusual tornado in Cochabamba, please go to:
https://bolivianthoughts.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/unusual-tornado-hits-cochabamba/
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