What weather phenomenon is characterized by rapidly rotating columns of air?

The phenomenon characterized by rapidly rotating columns of air is a tornado. Tornadoes form in severe thunderstorms and occur when warm, moist air near the ground rises and meets cooler, drier air above, leading to significant wind shear. This shear can cause the air to start rotating, creating a funnel-shaped cloud that descends toward the ground. Tornadoes can be extremely destructive, with wind speeds reaching over 300 miles per hour in the most intense cases.

In comparison, hurricanes and cyclones are large-scale weather systems that can produce strong winds and heavy rain over extensive areas, but they do not typically have the same rapidly rotating columns of air that are tightly condensed and extend to the ground like tornadoes. Thunderstorms are also associated with strong winds and can produce severe weather, including tornadoes, but they do not inherently exhibit the rapid rotation characteristic of tornadoes themselves. This distinction makes tornadoes unique in the context of rapidly rotating columns of air.