LIFE: Sirens, tornadoes and thunderstorms

Chicago's Willis tower being stuck by lightening last week. Source

One thing coming from the UK is that you never have to hear tornado sirens (or to give them their proper name, civil defense sirens). Here in the US, even in Michigan away from the main tornado alley, sirens are everyday part of life. The first Saturday of the month in our city at least they get tested, everyone knows as soon as you hear one you have to seek shelter in the nearest stable place - a basement, a proper tornado shelter and the like because a tornado is on the ground and heading your way, or the weather conditions that such a weather occurrence is very likely.   

So on Monday night when I was sat under a pile of vintage sewing patterns matching up and checking all the templates, I was a little surprised when the sirens went off. As a region we were already under a severe thunderstorm watch but no word of a tornado was issue. Me being me, panic mode ensued. The cause was a mighty large, fast moving thunderstorm passing to the north of us, but there was passing twitter confusing when sirens were going off in cities all around ours. Apparently such sirens are now being sounded for severe thunderstorms because, like a weak tornado they are capable of producing 70mp winds, and knowing the amount of severe thunderstorms our region gets, they might just be sounded even more. 

Extreme weather is the norm in the US, more so then the UK although when the Gulf Stream shuts off blizzards and cold weather extremes will sadly be more prominent on the other side of the ocean. Here people and the weather service deals with it pretty well. Even in winter, there might be a tonne of snow on the ground but people and transport get on with it. Certainly different from the mentality I grew up with in the UK. Here watches and warnings are issued and updated as soon as they needs be so you're always informed, warnings up on weather websites, even your TV beeps at you and sirens are displayed across the screen. 

Watches if your wondering is for in the instance of a tornado/thunderstorm/hurricane is if the conditions are favorable for producing them (they happen frequently in the summer months) and a warning is sounded when a thunderstorm with the capability of creating a tornado is imminent is in the area or approaching. It is a scary thing to get your head around, and still freaks me out. Times like this you'd welcome just a good old Yorkshire downpour and that it be.