Twisters stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, along with director Lee Isaac Chung, pose in front of props from Twister during a tour of the National Weather Center and NOAA offices in Norman, Oklahoma in May, 2023.
NSSL research scientist Sean Waugh poses with 'Twisters' cast at OKC premiere
NOAA Storm Prediction Center lead forecaster Rich Thompson explains a weather map to the Twisters cast and director during a tour of NOAA offices in the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma in May 2023.
NOAA SPC forecaster Rich Thompson explains a weather map to 'Twisters' cast
Rick Smith, meteorologist with the NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman, Oklahoma, provided tornado information and a facilities tour to the cast of Twisters in May, 2023.
NWS meteorologist Rick Smith gives a NOAA facilities tour to 'Twisters' cast
NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory research scientist Sean Waugh (third from right) poses with (L to R) producer Ashley Jay Sandberg, Daisy Edgar-Jones, director Lee Isaac Chung, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos in front of a NOAA weather instrument display at the Oklahoma City premiere of Twisters on July 15, 2024.
'Twisters' cast stand in front of 'Twister' props at the National Weather Center
NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory staff mimic the Twisters movie poster during the Los Angeles premiere on July 11, 2024. (L to R) Kurt Hondl, deputy director; DaNa Carlis, director; Wes Moody, communications specialist.
'NSSL staff have some fun at the L.A. premiere of "Twisters'

Heading to the theater to see the new "Twisters" movie? Keep an eye out for NOAA! You'll see NOAA logos, props and people (as unpaid extras) throughout. Our scientists worked hard behind the scenes with the producers to make the science as accurate and realistic (in some parts!) as possible. 

The "Twisters" plot follows competing storm chasing teams as they come together to try to predict, and possibly tame, the immense power of tornadoes. (Did you know that the main female character of the "Twisters" movie is a fictional NOAA meteorologist?)

And remember: While it's exciting to think of chasing tornadoes, please don't attempt it yourself. Whether you call them twisters or tornadoes, these storms in real life are far from entertainment: They are deadly forces of nature.

Every year, 2024 included, tornadoes carve paths of immense destruction in just minutes, causing tragic loss of life and property. Just like the characters in the movie, real NOAA scientists are focused on saving lives in the face of these potentially lethal storms. From accurate forecasts and timely warnings from NOAA's National Weather Service, to researchers working on the cutting edge to increase knowledge and create better tools for monitoring storms, we're working every day to keep people safe  — and communities intact. (Know these essential tornado survival tips.)

Join us back here this summer for feature content, including: More videos of real-life tornado science versus what you see in "Twisters;" an inside look at the latest NOAA tornado science; a virtual backstage tour of NOAA's role as consultants to the movie's producers; and more. Now, on with the show...

Video shorts: Facts vs. science fiction on the big screen

Overpasses are one of the worst places to seek shelter from a tornado — find out what to do instead.
Explore the ways you can be notified in advance of a tornado or severe weather.
Is it possible to tame a tornado? Short answer: No. A NOAA scientist explains why.
Could a "fire tornado" happen in real life? Learn the facts behind the flames.
NSSL's mission is science to save lives and property. Find out how NOAA safely studies tornadoes in the field.
NSSL has been the driver of weather radar research and advancement for more than 50 years. Watch to learn more about phased array and the future of radar.
One of the tools used here at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory to study tornadoes are Uncrewed Aerial Systems or UAS.
While these events — whether multiple “vortices”, two nearby tornadoes simultaneously or "satellite" tornadoes — are relatively rare, they are in fact real and not Hollywood fiction.
Many of the vehicles and props in the movie were inspired by real scientific instruments used by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) to study and observe tornadoes in real life.

NOAA science with a twist

A map from John P. Finley’s booklet, “Tornadoes. What they are and how to observe them; with practical suggestions for the protection of life and property.” showing the path of the Enigma outbreak of tornadoes on February 19, 1884. The path winds through the Northern states of the U.S.
John Park Finley, America’s first tornado forecaster

150 years ago, Sergeant John Park Finley of the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ Weather Bureau pioneered experimental tornado forecasts.

A powerful tornado near Waverly Road in the Lincoln, Nebraska, metro area on April 26, 2024. NOAA's National Weather Service in Omaha, Nebraska, issued 48 tornado warnings that day—the most the office has ever issued in a single day.
Watches, warnings and wall clouds: Brush up on tornadoes in this 101

Find out when tornadoes are most likey to strike, where "tornado alley" is located and the cloud types associated with tornadoes in this Tornado 101 from NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Screenshot from the NSSL video Studying Severe Weather in the Field.
Discover the unique mission and history of NOAA's NSSL

Explore six decades of NSSL braving the elements to research tornadoes and severe weather.

A storm with a condensed funnel cloud that is not touching the ground. The funnel cloud appears to be poised over a rural home.
Teaching tornadoes? Don't miss these must-have resources for educators.

If you're teaching tornadoes to elementary or middle school students, you've come to the right place. Check out our lesson plans, activities, multimedia resources and more.

A ticket from a 1996 screening of the movie, “Twister,” superimposed over a tornado blowing through a large field.
A career twist of fate?

How Hollywood helped inspire a new generation of meteorologists with the original "Twister" movie.

An orange and black graphic in the shape of an eyeball with a tornado-like funnel where the iris and pupil would be.
Skywarn®: Become a trained weather spotter

A note of caution: Severe weather spotters are not trained storm chasers. NOAA strongly discourages chasing tornadoes, or any other kind of severe weather.

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