[--MAIN HOME--] [--ALL HABYHINTS--] [--FACEBOOK PAGE--] HURRICANE INDUCED TORNADOES METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY Tornado watches are routinely issued for the Northeast quadrant of land-falling hurricanes. Part of the reason is the enhanced wind shear in this quadrant. In the Northern Hemisphere, the right side (relative to direction hurricane is moving) of the hurricane experiences winds coming from the ocean onto the land (due to counterclockwise flow). The wind has a smoother trajectory over the water since friction is less. As the winds on the right side of the hurricane move inland, the force of friction forces this air to turn inward toward low pressure, thus setting the stage for wind shear in the low levels of the troposphere. The wind in the mid-levels is not turned as sharply as the wind near the surface. The enhanced speed and directional wind shear in this quadrant of the hurricane spawns primarily short lived shallow based tornadoes. They can be difficult to spot on radar, therefore their occurrence is often without warning.