The power of tornadoes
A tornado in Minnesota, USA, in 1931 lifted an 83-tonne train 25 metres (80 ft) into the air and dropped it in a ditch. Many of its 117 passengers died. As for a tornado which hit Missouri, USA in March 1925, it was only 274 metres (900 ft) across but it killed 800 people and uprooted trees, swept cars over rooftops and hurled aside trains. On 26 May 1917, a single tornado sped 471 km (293 miles) across Texas, USA. It travelled at 88-120 kph (55-75 mph) for about 7 hours and 20 minutes.

  Miraculous survival
On 4 September 1981 a tornado hit Ancona in Italy. It lifted a baby asleep in its pram 15 metres (50 ft) into the air and set it down safely 100 m (328 ft) away. The baby was still sleeping soundly. Several chickens had all their feathers plucked off by a tornado in Bedfordshire, England in May 1950... and they all survived.

The highest ever waterspout seen was in 1898 in Australia. It was 1,528 metres (5,015 ft) high and 31 metres (10 ft) across.