What parts of a tropical cyclone are most favored for tornado formation ?
In the northern hemisphere, the right-front quadrant (relative to tropical cyclone motion) is strongly favored. In the southern hemisphere, the left-front quadrant presumably is favored, although there is little research on this point. Most of the tornadoes form in outer rainbands some 50-200 miles from the tropical cyclone center, but some have been documented in the inner core, or even in the eyewall (Novlan and Gray 1974, McCaul et al. 1996, Spratt et al. 1997).
Contributed by Bill McCaul In the northern hemisphere, the right-front quadrant (relative to TC motion) is strongly favored. In the southern hemisphere, the left-front quadrant presumably is favored, although there is little research on this point. Most of the tornadoes form in outer rainbands some 50-200 miles from the TC center, but some have been documented to occur in the inner core, or even in the TC eyewall (Novlan and Gray 1974, McCaul et al. 1996, Spratt et al. 1997).
