And in the most extreme cases, a violent tornado is born beneath that spinning white cloud of updraft that meteorologists call the supercell thunderstorm.

CNN: The making of a nightmare tornado

If a funnel cloud touches the ground it is generally regarded as a tornado and could lift debris and even cause some minor damage on the ground - depending on the strength of convection within the cloud.

BBC: Funnel clouds, twisters, tornados: What are they?

The love songs on Middle Cyclone are also unconventional: The opening track, "This Tornado Loves You, " imagines what it would be like to have an affair with a funnel cloud.

NPR: Exclusive First Listen: Neko Case