zpostcode
'You certainly don't see this every day': Ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado formed over Oklahoma
Apr 23, 2026 1:11 AM

An ultra-rare backward-spinning tornado was spawned Tuesday (April 30) from a powerful supercell thunderstorm that formed over the Oklahoma-Texas border.

This backward tornado burst to life in the wake of another odd twister, which was unusual in that it looped back over its own path, CNN reported. Tornadoes tend to travel from west to east, because the prevailing winds in the U.S. travel in that direction and thus push storm systems that way. However, tornadoes can sometimes turn back on themselves as they lose strength; in this case, the tornado completed a full loop over its original path before dying out.

This looping tornado had formed north of Loveland, Oklahoma, around 10 p.m. local time. It traveled east before heading north, west and then east again, over the same area it had already hit.

To be clear, in this loop we have a westward moving, dissipating cyclonic tornado AND and newly developed anticyclonic tornado also moving west-southwest with a debris signature. This is so incredibly rare its hard to describe. pic.twitter.com/SCpnyWXOgAMay 1, 2024

"You certainly don't see this every day," Rick Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Norman, Oklahoma, told CNN.

Related: 'Wedge tornado' in Mississippi is the deadliest in more than 50 years

As the looping tornado died down, the backward-spinning twister appeared a few miles southeast of Loveland, just before 10:30 p.m. Smith told CNN that both tornadoes were likely active for a brief period.

A weather service warning called the tornado "large and extremely dangerous" and noted that it was "nearly stationary or moving very slowly south." It warned people located in Loveland, Grandfield and Devol that "This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!"

RELATED STORIESDeadly cyclone 'Freddy' may be the longest-lived and most energetic storm ever recorded

How the 'deadly December tornado' carved a 250-mile path through 4 states

Most powerful solar storm in 6 years caused auroras all over the US. And nobody saw it coming

According to the NWS, nearly all tornadoes in the Northern Hemisphere have winds that whip counterclockwise around a central point; this motion is known as "cyclonic." But in about 1% of cases, twisters spin in the opposite direction; these are called anticyclonic. (In the Southern Hemisphere, cyclonic tornadoes spin clockwise, while anticyclonic ones spin counterclockwise.)

It was unusual enough to see a backward-spinning tornado, but the cyclone's lack of movement was also odd, Smith told CNN. And radar suggested the storm was strong enough to chuck debris thousands of feet into the air, even though anticyclonic tornadoes are often relatively weak.

Thankfully, the tornadoes mostly traveled over farmland, according to recent updates issued by Tillman County Emergency Management on Facebook. There have been no injuries, deaths or extensive structural damage reported, according to CNN.

Oklahoma has seen more than two dozen tornadoes this week. On April 27 and 28, a "slow-moving, but potent" storm triggered at least 27 tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas, with 24 confirmed in Oklahoma, the NWS reported.

Comments
Welcome to zpostcode comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Recommend >
67: More Than Just Slang
     More than a meme The number 67 may have gone viral as the slang term six seven, but its mathematical story runs much deeper—from prime patterns to complex numbers. (more) 67: More Than Just Slang Written by Anoushka Pant Anoushka Pant holds a degree in elementary education, with a focus on mathematics, education, and psychology, from Miranda House, University...
Black Tuesday and the Crash of 1929
     All was lost Bankrupt investor Walter Thornton tries to sell his luxury roadster for $100 cash on the streets of New York City following the 1929 stock market crash. (more) Black Tuesday and the Crash of 1929 October 29, 1929, marked the end of the beginning of the Great Depression Written by Michele Metych Michele Metych is the lead...
What Is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Endangerment Finding?
     Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. (more) What Is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Endangerment Finding? EPA rule [2009] Written by John P. Rafferty John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate...
Howard Lutnick
     Billionaire cabinet member Howard Lutnick, secretary of commerce in Donald Trump's second administration, spent much of his career building wealth on Wall Street. (more) Howard Lutnick Commerce secretary in second Trump administration Written by Fred Frommer Fred Frommer is a sports historian, author, and writer who has written for a host of national publications. Fred Frommer Fact-checked by Britannica...
Information Recommendation
Deaths in 2026
     Catherine O'Hara Canadian actress Catherine O'Hara, 2020. (more) Deaths in 2026 Written by Amy Tikkanen Amy Tikkanen is Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Amy Tikkanen Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.......
Trinamool Congress
     Trinamool Congress flag Supporters of the Trinamool Congress waving the party flag at a gathering addressed by Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal, India, in 2025. (more) Trinamool Congress political party, India Also known as: All India Trinamool Congress, Trinamul Congress(Show More) Written by Gitanjali Roy Gitanjali Roy is senior editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades...
Jeffrey Epstein’s Islands
     Jeffrey Epstein's island Little St. James Island featured pools, villas, and a helipad. It was also the site of sex trafficking, according to Epstein's accusers. (more) Jeffrey Epstein’s Islands Inside the sex offender’s most notorious lair Written by Tracy Grant Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman...
U.S. Athletes Speaking Out at the 2026 Winter Olympics
     Hunter Hess American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after placing second in the half-pipe event at the U.S. Grand Prix, held at Copper Mountain, Colorado, on December 20, 2025. (more) U.S. Athletes Speaking Out at the 2026 Winter Olympics Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years...
Shubman Gill
     Shubman Gill Indian cricketer Shubman Gill during a nets practice session at Headingley cricket ground, Leeds, England on June 18, 2025. (more) Shubman Gill Indian cricketer Written by Sanat Pai Raikar Sanat Pai Raikar is a quizmaster and writer based out of Bangalore, India. His first quiz book, Three's A Quiz, was written from memory. Sanat has cofounded Quizarre,...
Today in History—February 12: The Surreal Theft of The Scream
     February 12, 1994: While Norway was preparing for the Winter Olympics, thieves made off with a treasure. (more) Today in History—February 12: The Surreal Theft of The Scream Written by Alicja Zelazko Alicja Zelazko is Associate Editor, Arts and Humanities, covering topics in the visual arts, architecture, music, and performance. Before joining Encyclopædia Britannica in 2017, she worked at...
Artemis II
     Artemis II crew (From left) NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), and Victor Glover, Jr., and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are the crew of the Artemis II mission, which is to fly around the Moon in 2026. (more) Artemis II U.S. space mission Written by Erik Gregersen Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica,...
Nervous Conditions
     Tsitsi Dangarembga Tsitsi Dangarembga, author of Nervous Conditions (1988), in 2022. (more) Nervous Conditions novel by Dangarembga Written by Sophie Thomas Sophie Thomas is a Lecturer in English at the University of Sussex, where she teaches a range of subjects, including 18th- and 19th-century literature. She is also a contributor to 1001 Books You Must... Sophie Thomas Fact-checked by...