When it comes facing nature’s wrath, we Indians have witnessed innumerable extreme situations: floods, famines, earthquakes and tsunamis that have wrecked a million lives.
However, Indians are yet to see the power of some of the other most deadly natural phenomena. Here are 5 such mighty forces of nature that lie waiting like weapons in the hands of angry gods:
1. Tornadoes
Tornadoes mostly occur in North America due to the vast open spaces and other very specific environmental conditions. However, it is in Bangladesh that the most number of deaths have been recorded due to tornadoes which have also affected parts of West Bengal. This is what the mighty tornado looks like:
2. Upward lightning
We normally see cloud-to-ground bolts that we call lightning. But there is also something called upward lightning or ground-to-cloud lightning. Upward lightning originates from tall objects such as broadcast towers, skyscrapers or wind turbines. Atmospheric scientist Tom Warner explains how upward lightning happens:
3. Avalanches
Avalanches or snow-slides are of three types – slab avalanches, powder avalanches and wet snow avalanches. Watch how dangerous they can be:
4. Forest fires
In this video, a camera crew captures a huge 2011 forest fire that destroyed 1.5 million acres of pine forest in Ontario, Canada:
5. Hurricanes
Filmmakers dare Hurricane Irene on the beaches of North Carolina in 2011 to capture the best footage:
