Why are there more tornadoes in the US compared to the rest of the world?
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It’s the combo of these things:
1 – North America has mountains on the west edge and (lesser) mountains on the east edge. The middle between them is a wide flatter area.
2 – North America is kind of triangular shaped – wide in the north and skinny in the south.
2 – Air from the west (from the great plains) is dry.
3 – Air from the gulf of Mexico is humid and hot.
Because of #1 and #2, the prevailing wind patterns bring #3 and #4 meet in the middle of the continent. The ocean air drives northward into the interior and the dry plains air drives eastward into the interior. Where they tend to meet is where tornado alley is, as the two air masses meeting is what creates the massive thunderstorm lines that spawn funnels.
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