You can use any really however the best one to use is the EF scale focuses more on wind speed and damage as a whole. They also have different category sorting :
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Which should I use? The EF scale wouldn't exist for no reason. It's to be more accurate and precise when rating tornados. If you look the F scale has a bit difference for example: F3 = 158-206 mph. That is EF3-Ef5! That would mean you wouldn't really know what measures to take in place unless you figured that out by warnings or the news. Also the damage between EF3 and EF5 is massive. Take a look.
EF3
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
EF5
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
What do news systems use? Most news systems use EF scale, as we know it's more accurate. If you put EF3 tornado and go to news recent articles come up however if you put F3 most the articles will be about how a F3 tornado destroyed a city 30 years ago when the article was written. They are using the old scale as that's what was used.
When was this change made? The EF scale was introduced on February 1st 2007. By The Texas Tech University Wind Science and Engineering Center, along with a forum of nationally renowned meteorologists and wind engineers from across the country. Was there a specific reason for the change? No, there isn't a specific reason. However there has been a lot less deaths since the EF scale was introduced. Sure it hadn't been active as long as the F scale but it has helped a lot.
Questions on this chapter? Feel free to put in comments.
