Drillbit tornado hits Ulan Hada Volcanic Geological Park in Inner Mongolia, crushing vehicles

The event took place in the vicinity of the park’s volcanic landforms, which cover approximately 65 km² (25 miles²) and are part of a well‑preserved basaltic volcanic field.

Video footage posted online shows a narrow tornado funnel over the park. Some meteorologists and weather observers on social media have described the feature as resembling a “drillbit tornado,” a narrow and tightly wound vortex, though no official classification has been made.

The Ulan Hada Volcanic Geological Park, sometimes referred to as the “volcano museum” or the “alchemy furnace of Supreme Lord Laozi,” is a protected geological reserve featuring more than 30 volcanic cones, lava flows, and dammed lakes.

Its open grassland setting provides an unobstructed view of weather phenomena developing in the area.

Tornadoes are uncommon but not unprecedented in Inner Mongolia. Summer convective storms occasionally produce rotating updrafts capable of generating tornadoes when local surface boundaries interact with upper‑level disturbances.

Reet Kaur

I’m a science journalist and researcher at The Watchers, contributing to the Epicenter edition, where I cover peer-reviewed scientific research and emerging discoveries across Earth and space sciences. With a background in astronomy and a passion for environmental science, I’ve worked in shark and coral conservation in Fiji, conducting reef and shark-behavior research, contributing to mangrove restoration, and earning PADI Open Water and Coral Reef Certifications. I bring a blend of scientific rigor and storytelling to illuminate the discoveries shaping our planet and beyond.

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