Does Europe have tornadoes?
Europe has hundreds of tornadoes every year, but, strong ones are rare
Two tornadoes in northern France
Two towns in northern France suffered tornado damage as 2 twisters moved through. Officials say about 50 homes were damaged, trees were torn down, but there were no fatalities.
Almost every country in the world has the ingredients and sees tornadoes yearly, including Europe.
Are there tornadoes in Europe?
There are about 300 to 400 tornadoes each year in Europe.
Europe sees about 300 to 400 tornadoes a year, according to the European Severe Storms Laboratory. In 2021, the lab reported a total of 356 tornadoes in Europe and 581 waterspouts.
Tornadoes in Europe were blamed for 14 deaths and 273 injuries.
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Europe’s peak tornado season is in July, with December being the least probable month to have one. This includes Northern, Western and Central Europe, where summer is the most likely time for a tornado. But, in Mediterranean regions, most tornadoes strike in the fall while the eastern Mediterranean peaks in winter.
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Take a look at the map to see where the most storms were reported over the past 5 years.
Each triangle shows the location of a tornado. The reports were collected over the past 5 years. (European Severe Weather Database / FOX Weather)
A European Severe Storms Laboratory researcher published a study logging tornadoes from 2000 to 2013. He found the highest densities of twisters in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Most countries have reported at least one tornado except for the former Yugoslav Republics of Macedonia and Montenegro. Those areas had never reported a tornado since 2014 when the report was published.
And even though most countries have had tornadoes, many in Europe still do not have tornado warnings.
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A tornado in Rome, Italy in December 2021. (Antonio Masiello / Getty Images)
Looking at the years 2000 to 2013, the vast majority were not strong tornadoes.
Tornado ratings and the percent of tornadoes reported in each rating:
- F-5: 0%
- F-4: 7%
- F-3: 4%
- F-2: 27%
- F-1: 69%
- F-0: 35%
Europe uses the original Fujita Scale, which was introduced in 1971 to rate the strength of a tornado.
In 2007, the U.S. switched from the F-Scale to the Enhanced Fujita or EF Scale, which takes damage into account for the rating.
HOW ARE TORNADOES RATED? THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE EXPLAINED
A tornado in the Czech Republic killed 3 people and injured dozens more in June 2016. (Lukas Kabon/Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)
10 Deadliest tornadoes in Europe
Half of the list of the 10 deadliest tornadoes across Europe, according to the European Severe Weather Database, occurred in Italy, but reporting was not standardized or quality-controlled until recent decades.
- France: F3 killed 70 in 1845
- Russia: F5 69 in 1984
- Spain: F3 killed 47 in 1886
- Italy: unrated killed 40 in 1897
- Italy: unrated killed 36 in 1910
- Austria: F4 killed 35 in 1916
- Italy: F4 killed 34 in 1970
- Italy: unrated killed 30 in 1884
- Italy: F5 killed 23 in 1930
- Turkey: unrated killed 20 in 1930
The U.S. leads the world for the number of tornadoes per year in a country. The states see about 1,250 tornadoes a year, according to NOAA.