Observers report dust whirls almost daily during the hot season over the Sahara as well as the arid regions of Australia and the southwestern United States. They also are common over sections of India and the Middle East. Dust devils occur most frequently under hot, clear-sky conditions with light winds.

Dust devils become visible when they form over barren terrain, tarmac, and desert-like terrain. They commonly form in Virginia at construction sites. For dust devils to form, you usually need plenty of sunshine, little to no wind, and a very cool atmosphere above.

Originally Answered: What happens if you walk into a dust devil? TLDR: Not much. The wind swirls around you and you may get a little dust on you, and the dust devil moves on.

Dust devils, for example, occur daily and last from minutes to hours, whereas planet-encircling storms occur quasiannually and can last for months. Dust devils are typically tens of meters in diameter and several kilometers tall. Some have been observed to heights of ∼8 km.

Dust devils typically do not cause injuries, but rare, severe dust devils have caused damage and even deaths in the past. On May 19, 2003, a dust devil lifted the roof off a two-story building in Lebanon, Maine, causing it to collapse and kill a man inside.

Martian dust devils are most active in mid-summer. The largest ones can reach heights of 8 kilometers (5 miles) — much taller than dust devils on Earth. Many dust devils form each afternoon throughout the spring and summer in northwestern Amazonis Planitia.

Dust devil chasing is relatively easy and safe compared to storm chasing. Dust devils may not be a tornadoes, but they rotate, they’re convective, and unlike a tornado, you can drive or run through one safely (literal “chasing”!).

According to other images captured by the MRO’s onboard HiRISE camera, it’s estimated that wind speeds for these little sand tornadoes can reach 110 km/hour. You can even see some footage of other Martian dust devils here.

1. Rope tornadoes. Rope tornadoes are some of the smallest and most common types of tornadoes, getting their name from their rope-like appearance. Most tornadoes begin and end their life cycle as a rope tornado before growing into a larger twister or dissipating into thin air.

Yes. When two tornadoes meet, they merge into a single tornado. It is a rare event. When it does occur, it usually involves a satellite tornado being absorbed by a parent tornado, or a merger of two successive members of a tornado family.

A ditch is a poor escape option if it’s rapidly filling with water. There’s no point in surviving a tornado only to drown in a flash flood. ◊ Debris. All kinds of material can get pitched into a ditch with lethal force during a tornado.

If you are outside and a tornado is approaching, get into a ditch or gully. If possible, lie flat and cover your head with your arms.

Oklahoma

The idea of opening windows and doors in the event of a tornado – an effort to “equalize pressure” is a waste of time, NOAA said. “Opening the windows is absolutely useless, a waste of precious time, and can be very dangerous. Don’t do it. You may be injured by flying glass trying to do it.

The “greenage” or green color in storms does not mean a tornado is coming. The green color does signify the storm is severe though. The color is from the water droplets suspended in the storm, absorbing red sunlight and radiating green frequencies.