A schematic showing the rear flank downdraft of a tornadic supercell. The RFD occlusion or tornado is at the center of rotational convergence within the RFD. The curved dashed line is the outline of the hook echo. The white area is inflow to the updraft. Gray indicates relatively warm downdraft outflow. An unstable RFD is favorable for tornadogenesis. A couple hundred meters above the surface, winds generally turn south-southwest or southwesterly in the area south of the hook. Graphic obtained from Markowski et al. 2002.
