Doppler radars record wind speeds and identify areas of rotation within thunderstorms. Since Doppler radar has been in use, the warning time for tornadoes has grown from fewer than five minutes in the 1980s to an average of 13 minutes today.

When weather conditions are conducive for tornado formation, the National Weather Service issues a tornado watch. When a tornado has been sighted or indicated on radar, a tornado warning is issued.

Some scientists, meteorology buffs, and adrenaline junkies hit the road during tornado season to chase storms. Researchers race to place sensors in tornadoes' paths. The sensors measure data such as wind speed, barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature.

The challenge for researchers is being in the right place at the right time, a nearly impossible feat. Every morning they study weather conditions and head for the area that seems most likely to spawn a twister. They drive through severe storms, dodge lightning, face flash floods, and get pounded by hail—sometimes for years—before ever spotting a tornado

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