A meteorologist’s review of ‘Twisters:’ How accurate is the science?

Orlando, Florida – The sequel to the 1996 hit “Twister” has a lot to live up to. Many weather fans, including myself, were impressed by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton’s performances as Dr. Jo and Bill Harding, which further fuelled my desire to pursue a career in meteorology.

My colleagues and I, along with other meteorologists in the Central Florida area, had the opportunity to attend an early screening of the new movie “Twisters,” which is scheduled to be released on Friday, July 19th.

Advance screening of “Twisters” (Amy Sweezy)

We all enjoyed the action packed movie.

Our reviews:

This movie is hilarious. The special effects alone make it worth watching. Of course, there’s the obligatory love story. Both actors are amazing looking people who probably never took a thermodynamics or physics class in their life, but the storyline is cute, despite the annoying tagline “If you feel it, go after it!”.

Meteorologically speaking, the film has fewer gaffes than the original 1996 film “Twister.” But in the first 10 minutes of the film, a storm chaser is heard saying, “Doppler doesn’t forecast any storms until 9:00 tonight.” This is said at about 11:00 a.m. on a clear day. This is not what Doppler does. This is something models can do, but Doppler is a radar. It detects rain, speed and direction of movement, size of raindrops, hail, etc., and does not forecast 10 hours from now.

The technology of seeding clouds to make them produce rain or to stop development is not an exact science, and in this movie, the technology of seeding to make them produce rain really distorts science.

Also, and this is not a spoiler, we see a massive thunderstorm break up at one point, and if that storm does happen, the microbursts will cause EF-4 damage on the ground with straight-line winds alone.

Again, I’m being picky. These “failures” don’t ruin the movie. And if you can ignore them, this movie is entertaining! Good actors, nice story, great special effects. Amazing tornado…very realistic. I give this movie 2 thumbs up for Talk To Tom!

Tom Sorrells, Chief Meteorologist Emeritus

Disclaimer: The following information contains content that may be considered spoilers for some people.

How accurate is the science in Twisters? Let’s break it all down!

When it comes to science, especially weather and climate, Hollywood often bends the truth. Believe me, it really annoys me when the science, especially regarding weather and climate, is not accurate.

In Twisters, the main storyline revolves around the idea of weakening or neutralizing tornadoes that have already formed, preventing damage and casualties. Interesting, don’t you think?

Well, that sounds like a great idea, but there’s very little science to back it up: Tornadoes are just a small part of a larger weather system called a supercell.

The only way to stop a tornado is to disrupt the supercell, which is very difficult – the energy in a thunderstorm is much greater than that of a tornado, which is why no one has tried.

One extreme method that is often joked about is using a nuclear bomb, but in reality that would be far worse than a tornado.

Storm Tracking:

There is now much more information online that anyone can access, and unlike in the ’90s, scientists and weather enthusiasts have a much deeper understanding of how tornadoes form and behave.

But why some thunderstorms produce “violent” tornadoes and others don’t remains a mystery in meteorology. Storm-tracking researchers aim to understand “tornado genesis,” the process behind tornado formation.

Being in the right place at the right time is crucial, as there is a limited time to collect data. Trackers typically only have about 15 minutes to get into position and set up their radar and monitoring equipment. Tornadoes can form in just a few seconds, so the chances of success are low. This tracking is costly and time-consuming. It is certainly challenging.

“Twisters” effectively portrayed the chaos and time constraints of tracking a storm, highlighting the danger, risk and potential loss of life.

Data collection using drones:

Drones have recently provided new insights into tornado environments, allowing researchers and storm chasers to safely fly drones near tornadoes.

The TORUS drone featured in Twisters is based on real science. With a top speed of 90 mph, the RAAVEN drone can fly up to 10-15 miles downwind of a thunderstorm, going where standard drones can’t due to limitations such as battery life and speed.

“Twisters” is an effective showcase for drone-based tornado research. The film uses accurate meteorological terminology and imagery based on solid scientific principles.

Tornado warning sirens in Central Florida:

Why do tornado sirens sound so often in Oklahoma City but not in Central Florida? It comes down to the level of risk. Florida has more tornadoes than any other southeastern US state, but tornadoes occur year-round and less frequently in late fall and winter, according to the Florida Climate Center.

However, EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes are rare in Florida: the state experiences EF-3 tornadoes throughout the year, including every month of the year, but deadly tornado outbreaks are still possible.

In contrast, weather patterns in the Central Plains are conducive to producing numerous and violent tornadoes, making tornado warning sirens necessary in places like Oklahoma City.

Seminole County is the only county in Central Florida that has tornado warning sirens. Patty Stevens, administrative coordinator for the Oviedo Fire Department, said the sirens were installed in 2007.

The sirens are tested at noon on the first Saturday of each month and are activated for one minute, weather permitting, primarily for equipment inspections. They are activated when a tornado warning is in effect for Seminole County, providing a three-minute warning to the Oviedo community with no “alert” sound.

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