AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tornadoes are one of Mother Nature’s most destructive forces, but they’re also one of the most fascinating weather phenomena.

Just like cupcakes, tornadoes require the perfect amount of ingredients — warm air, cool air, moisture and a change in winds with height. Not every thunderstorm produces a tornado, but the ones that do tend to be rotating thunderstorms with a lot of energy and instability.

At-home experiment: tornado in a bottle

Supplies:

  • Two 2-Liter bottles (empty)
  • Duct tape or tube connector
  • Water
  • Food coloring

Experiment:

  1. Fill one of the Liter bottles halfway with water & two drops of food coloring.
  2. Using duct tape or tube connector, attach the other Liter bottle to the one with water.
  3. When ready to make a tornado, flip the bottle with water over the empty one.
  4. Vigorously move the two bottles in quick, small circle.
  5. As the bubbles rise and the water begins to fall into the empty bottle, a “tornado” will form.
  • Tornado in a bottle set-up
  • Close up view of “tornado”