Derecho
- “what is a derecho”
- “derecho vs tornado”
- “straight line wind damage”
- “how strong is a derecho”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Derecho | Tornado |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | Straight | Rotating |
| Damage pattern | All one direction | Converging |
| Scale | 250+ miles | Localised |
| Spanish root | Straight | Read as 'to turn' |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Derecho rather than Tornado are usually searching for phrases like “what is a derecho”, “derecho vs tornado”, “straight line wind damage”.
03 · The mix-up
Where the confusion comes from
The mix-up“A derecho is basically a very wide tornado, or a hurricane on land.”
What's true
It is defined by its damage swath and its parent storm, not by the absence of rotation - derecho-producing systems routinely carry embedded mesovortices and can spawn tornadoes. Damage is directed one way along a relatively straight swath — hence 'straight-line wind damage'. It originates from a mesoscale convective system moving faster than the mean wind.
04 · Read either one