The Day of Twelve Tornadoes in Britain

Twisters Wreaked Havoc in England on September 23, 2007

Dec 12, 2008 Maureen K. Fleury

High winds and driving rain smashed homes and cars in the Midlands and the South of England. Traffic was disrupted in London due to heavy rain.

Although Tornado Alley in the U.S. is known for frequent and violent storms, Britain also has its share of tornado activity. The Daily Mail on September 24, 2007, reported, “Because of its geographical position, Britain is hit by more tornadoes than any other European country. Per square mile, it is struck even more often than North America, the home of the devastating super tornadoes.”

Causes of Tornadoes in Britain

Currents of warm air are bought up from the tropics by following the warm water currents of the Gulf Stream. The warm air collides with cool air that is heading down from the Arctic. These two air masses form storms off of the coast of Greenland and the jet stream carries them over the Atlantic Ocean to Britain.

For a tornado to form, these storms have to produce wind squalls and heavy rain. When the warm air on the ground is overshadowed by cold air, it can form an updraft. If the updraft gets caught in a cross-wind, a tornado funnel can form.

Events Leading to the Twelve 2007 Tornadoes in Britain

On September 23, 2007, a series of tornadoes were formed due to the conditions being ideal. In the previous seven days, the temperatures were abnormally high. Quite suddenly, cool air, rain and wind came down from the northwest and created unstable weather.

The area affected by these tornadoes stretched from Farnborough (west of London), and northward to Luton, Northampton and Nuneaton. The storm system arrived in Britain early in the morning and started to pass through this area at approximately 6:00am.

Reports of funnel sightings occurred at different times throughout the region. Wind speeds were between 73 and 114mph.

Damage Caused by the Twelve 2007 Tornadoes in Britain

Farnborough was one of the hardest-hit areas. The tornado flipped over a motor home and blew the roof off a four-car garage. A number of trees were uprooted and over 20 homes sustained serious structural damage.
A backyard trampoline was tossed into the air in Luton. Many roofs were damaged and trees were uprooted. A factory roof blew off in a nearby town.
In Northampton, many trees were uprooted and one struck an empty school bus. In a neighbouring village, a car was picked up by the wind and blown across the road.
A tornado in Nuneaton ripped through a residential area, causing damage to over 36 homes. Many roofs were blown off in other districts.
Other funnels were sighted in Breaston, Long Eaton, Eye, Whittlesey, Hull, Nottingham, Hants, Warks and Ollerton.

These tornadoes were not the biggest to hit Britain. According to The Telegraph, “One of the biggest and earliest recorded tornadoes, with winds estimated between 213mph and 240mph, struck St Mary le Bow, in what is now central London, Oct 23, 1091. On Nov 23, 1981 as many as 105 tornadoes broke out in 5 1/2 hours as a cold front crossed England.”

There were no deaths or injuries because the twelve tornadoes struck early in the morning before rush hour had started. By 9:00am, the storm had blown out to the North Sea.