Can Twisters Actually Be Tamed? This Is What The Experts Say

When watching films like this year’s blockbuster Twisters, it’s hard to not spend time thinking about what you would do in this situation, and, if you live somewhere like the UK where enormous tornados don’t happen, how you would even cope.

Especially since in the film (spoilers ahead), main character Kate manages to de-stabilise a tornado using a type of polymer which to me seemed absolutely absurd — isn’t the whole fear of them based in how uncontrollable they are?

Thankfully, ScienceNews spoke to a meteorologist and the movie’s tornado consultant to help separate fact from fiction.

Can tornados be tamed?

Maria Molina, a meteorologist at the University of Maryland said that this part of the film actually made her “cringe”. Oh dear.

Kevin Kelleher, the technical consultant on the original Twister film said that while it’s not entirely impossible, it is unlikely.

Speaking to ScienceNews, the expert said: “In theory, if you injected enough of the polymer into the tornado’s funnel, it would absorb moisture and the water would then fall to the ground, thus having some influence on the storm.

“Of course, it’s a matter of scale, you can’t hardly imagine getting enough of this chemical in the storm to make a difference.”

Molinas went on to say that scientifically, there isn’t a control tornado to ensure every part of the dynamics in the solution for it. 

Basically, no, they can’t be tamed. 

Boo.

Is storm chasing safe?

If Twisters inspired you to become a storm chaser yourself, each to their own but the experts do have advice for you: “These are exceptionally dangerous forces of nature you don’t want to mess with at all. 

“So do not try to think you can drive into a tornado and survive it. It’s just not doable.”

I’ll stick to the movies tbh.