supercell

American  

[soo-per-sel] / ˈsu pərˌsɛl /

noun

Meteorology.

1. a highly organized thunderstorm that can last for several hours, capable of producing both updrafts and downdrafts exceeding 100 miles per hour, large hailstones, tornadoes, and flash flooding (often used attributively).

   a supercell in Kansas City;

   supercell storms.

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Etymology

Origin of supercell

First recorded in 1960–65; super- ( def. ) + cell ( def. )

Example Sentences

It came as a large supercell storm cloud crossed the city during the afternoon bringing intense rain and large hail.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2024

But in Fort Lauderdale the supercell was in a lull between opposing weather systems, Carbin said.

From Washington Times • Apr. 14, 2023

Researchers at Northern Illinois University looked at data from the past 15 years, which compared different types of supercell storms.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2023

The tornadoes stretched from the Louisiana border of Mississippi through Alabama as part of a supercell, or rotating thunderstorm — a rare, extended path for such a storm.

From Washington Post • Mar. 25, 2023

This was a supercell, the nasty type of storms that brew the deadliest tornado and most damaging hail in the United States, said University of Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Walker Ashley.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2023