Like its predecessor, ‘Twister’, the new blockbuster ‘Twisters’ is poised to spark a new generation of meteorologists and storm chasers. With its impressive opening weekend box office numbers, it’s clear that this movie has captured the attention of both weather enthusiasts and the general public. ‘Twisters’ earned $32.2M on the film’s domestic opening day. Same opening day number as ‘Dune 2’ and only 800K below ‘Oppenheimer’.
The movie kicks off with a flashback scene of young meteorologists attempting to “disrupt tornado dynamics,” essentially trying to use super absorbent polymers to weaken the tornado by cutting off its moisture supply. This idea, born from a childhood passion for weather, sets the stage for the rest of the movie, which fast forwards to the present day and follows two rival storm-chasing teams with very different motives.
Decoding the Science Behind ‘Twisters’
For those interested in the science behind the movie’s thrilling storm chases, here’s a breakdown of some key meteorological concepts featured in the film:
- SLIM: This acronym stands for Shear, Lift, Instability, and Moisture – the four essential ingredients for tornado formation.
- Shear: Wind shear is the change in wind speed and/or direction with height. It’s a critical factor in the formation of supercell thunderstorms, the type of storm most likely to produce tornadoes. Its worth noting that not all supercells produce a tornado. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, “Moderate to strong speed and directional wind shear between the surface and about 20,000 feet is the most critical factor.” Wind shear actually serves a couple of purposes. It helps to create the rotating updraft and allows for the storm to be tilted.
- Supercells: These powerful thunderstorms have rotating updrafts called mesocyclones, which are often precursors to tornadoes. The movie showcases both low-precipitation and high-precipitation supercells, the latter of which can produce dangerous rain-wrapped tornadoes.
- Lift: This refers to any mechanism that forces air upwards, initiating storm development. Fronts, drylines, and outflow boundaries are all examples of lifting mechanisms.
- Instability: This is the atmosphere’s tendency to continue rising once lifted. It’s what fuels the explosive growth of thunderstorms. The scientists refer to instability throughout the movie (and CAPE).
- CAPE: Convective Available Potential Energy, or CAPE, is a measure of instability. Higher CAPE values indicate a greater potential for strong updrafts.
- Moisture: Just like a fire needs fuel, thunderstorms need moisture to thrive. The moist inflow of air is what feeds these storms.
- Phased Array Radar: This cutting-edge radar technology uses stationary panels instead of a rotating dish, allowing for faster and more targeted scans of storms.
- Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale: This scale rates tornadoes based on the damage they cause, ranging from EF0 (weakest) to EF5 (strongest).
from Charlotte commented that he watched the Twisters Movie and was good both as just a movie and it was good meteorologically. He went on to say “The original is a classic and will always be a cult classic with me even though it was not always very accurate scientifically. This one stayed much closer to the meteorology and I only noticed a few cringe worthy lines that I was like, No that’s not how it works. They did their homework more on this one showing the current state of storm chasers and forecasting with a dash of Hollywood embellishment.” #TwistersMovie
Safety First: Learning from ‘Twisters’
The movie also highlights important safety practices for those caught in a tornado. Seeking shelter in basements, storm cellars, or interior rooms is crucial, while taking cover under highway overpasses is strongly discouraged due to the increased wind speeds and flying debris.
In addition to these concepts, the film touches on the Fujiwhara effect, the dangerous yet fascinating nature of storm chasing, and the ongoing debate about the relationship between climate change and tornado frequency and intensity.
The threat of climate change, highlighted by recent record-breaking tornadoes and potential cuts to NOAA funding from Project 2025, underscores the importance of the work done by meteorologists and storm chasers in understanding and predicting these extreme weather events.
‘Twisters’ serves as an entertaining and educational tool for aspiring meteorologists and storm chasers. It provides a glimpse into the science behind these awe-inspiring weather events and underscores the importance of safety when dealing with severe weather.