Meteorologist is tracking a live tornado in Oklahoma — and then a second one appears

As an Oklahoma meteorologist was tracking a tornado on the ground during a roaring Midwestern storm, his eyes in the sky alerted him to something new — a second tornado.

The double tornadoes touched down in the small town of Maud, about 60 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, on Wednesday, May 4.. KWTV chief meteorologist David Payne reported from his studio, as pilot Jim Gardner was hovering over the storm system.

The first tornado was traveling through greenhouse structures, knocking debris into the sky. As Gardner panned out, the second tornado suddenly appeared.

“Is it me or am I sweating?” Payne said, wiping away sweat from his forehead.

Gardner eventually was able to capture video of both tornadoes at once. They were a part of the same dark cloud.

“Two tornadoes. We have sister tornadoes. Not good,” Payne said.

But how rare is that? Double tornadoes from the same supercell “occur much more frequently than previously thought,” The Weather Channel said.

“A second tornado may form where the two downdrafts and the updraft meet,” according to The Weather Channel. “In this manner, you can have multiple tornadoes simultaneously form from the same storm: one typically weakening, while the other is maturing or strengthening.”

There was extensive tornado damage in parts of Texas and Oklahoma due to the strong storm system Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. There are no reports of serious injuries.

The Academy of Seminole, located about 12 miles from the double tornadoes, “took a direct hit from the tornado,” the school said on Facebook.

Photos and video shared on social media show the impact the storm left throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Meteorologist is tracking a live tornado in Oklahoma — and then a second one appears."