An Egyptian Twister

Earlier this month, a tornado struck Alexandria, Egypt. This rare occurrence was caught on camera by an astronomer lucky enough to come face to face with the twister.  

Tornadoes are rotating columns of air that form when high winds within a low pressure system cause water vapor in the air to condense into a funnel cloud.

They occur all over the world. However, at more than 1,000 each year, the majority of tornadoes take place in the United States.

The wind speed of the average tornado reaches 112 mph. They generally measure around 250 feet in width and travel approximately one mile before falling apart.

Some of the most catastrophic tornadoes in recorded history registered wind speeds of 300 miles an hour and measured more than 2 miles in girth.

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Credit: Aymen Ibrahem