tornado and waterspout

tornado

Swirling column of air that extends from the ground to the base of a cumulonimbus; it produces violent winds that can reach 300 mph.

wall cloud

Ring-shaped cloud mass, usually the first sign that a tornado is imminent.

funnel cloud

Cloud that extends from another cloud’s base and reaches the ground; extremely high winds whirl around it.

debris

Cloud of dust and debris swept up from the ground.

waterspout

Tornado that occurs over the sea and is not as violent as a tornado on land.