Transcript:

Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma have long been considered the heart of Tornado Alley.

But Illinois, which historically averages about 50 tornadoes per year, recorded about 200 in just the first half of this year. And in Mississippi, eight tornadoes hit on a single night in May.

Events like this can leave people wondering if climate change is increasing the risk of tornadoes.

But Jeff Trapp, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois, says the answer is uncertain.

Data show that tornadoes are getting more frequent in areas east of the Great Plains.

Trapp: “Mississippi and Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky really pop out, and even Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana.”

And clusters of tornadoes are becoming more common.

Trapp: “On the days that tornadoes do form, there tend to be more tornadoes.”

But Trapp says what’s driving these changes remains an open question.

A warmer atmosphere can fuel strong thunderstorms, which are critical for tornado formation.

But tornadoes also require certain wind conditions, and how climate change is affecting those is much more complex.

So scientists are still working to understand the links between global warming and these dangerous events.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media