Why do tornadoes spin?

Tornadoes spin due to the interaction of warm, moist air with cool, dry air, creating a rotating column of wind. The Coriolis effect, caused by Earth’s rotation, also contributes to the direction of spin in large storm systems. As rising warm air meets descending cool air, a horizontal rotation can form and get tilted vertically by a thunderstorm’s updraft. This creates a spinning vortex, which intensifies into a tornado if conditions are right. The rotation is a key feature of tornadoes, enabling them to cause concentrated damage.