List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

This is a list of notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in Europe.

Pre-20th century EventDateAreaTornadoesCasualtiesNotes Sardinia tornado 200 Sardinia, Italy 1 ? A tornado in Sardinia. The earliest known European tornado and the first-ever recorded tornado. France tornado of 580 580 France 1 Many fatalities Tornado tracked 1 mile (1.6 km), killing many people. France tornado of 588 588 France 1 Unknown Tornado, described as "snakes from the clouds", that destroyed a village. 689 Sachsen tornado 689 Sachsen, Germany 1 Unknown Tornado in Sachsen. 788 Freising tornado Summer 788 Freising, Francia 1 ? Tornado in Freising.Dr. R. Hennig, Katalog bemerkenswerter Witterungsereignisse. Berlin 1904; Originalquellen: Aventinus (Turmair), Johannes (gest. 1534): Annales Boiorum. Mit Nachtrag. Leipzig 1710; Annales Fuldenses, Chronik des Klosters Fulda. Bei Marquard Freher: Germanicarum rerum scriptores etc. Frankfurt a.M. (1600–1611)Northern Umbria tornado 793 Umbria, Italy 1 ? Tornado in the northern parts of Umbria. 885 Württemberg tornado 885 Württemberg, Germany 1 ? Tornado in Württemberg. 962 Poitiers tornado March 962 Poitiers, France 1 Unknown Tornado reported in Poitiers. 979 Kiev tornado 979 Kiev, Kievan Rus' 1 ? Tornado in Kiev. The tornado was never rated. 989 Sachsen tornado 989 Sachsen, Germany 1 Unknown Low-end F1/T2 tornado in Sachsen.1011 Württemberg tornado 1011 Württemberg, Germany 1 ? Tornado in Württemberg.1043 Kievan Rus' waterspout 1043 Kievan Rus' 1 ? Waterspout in the mouth of the Danube River in Kievan Rus'. Rosdalla tornado 30 April 1054 Kilbeggan, Ireland 1 0 Recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, which described a "round tower of fire" () that sucked in birds, a greyhound dog, and clothing, then dropped them.Northern Umbria tornado of 1067 6 December 1067Umbria, Italy 1 ? Tornado in the northern parts of Umbria. London tornado of 1091 17 October 1091 London, Middlesex, Kingdom of England 1 2 The London Tornado of 1091 is the earliest reported tornado in England, occurring in London on Friday, 17 October 1091. It has been reckoned by modern assessment as possibly a T8 on the TORRO scale (roughly equivalent to low-end F4 on the Fujita scale) making it potentially the strongest recorded tornado in the British Isles, although this estimate is based on reports written 30 years after the tornado. The church of St Mary-le-Bow in the city of London was badly damaged; four rafters long were driven into the ground so that only protruded above the surface. Other churches in the area were demolished, as were over 600 (mostly wooden) houses. For all the damage inflicted, the tornado claimed just two known victims from a population of about 18,000. The tornado is mentioned in chronicles by Florence of Worcester and William of Malmesbury, the latter describing it as "a great spectacle for those watching from afar, but a terrifying experience for those standing near". Vyšehrad Tornado 30 July 1119 Vyšehrad, Bohemia 1 ? Earliest known and perhaps strongest Czech tornado, possibly rated F3/F4. Destroyed the palace of the Czech duke at Vyšehrad, which is now in Prague. Czech tornado of 1144 14 May 1144 Bohemia 2 0 Two tornadoes near the military camp of Duke Vladislaus II. This source may describe the first storm chasers ever documented in history. 1255 Prague tornado 8 April 1255 Prague, Bohemia 1 1 Tornado at Prague Castle. Russian tornado of 1406 1406 near Nizhny Novgorod, Russia 1 1 fatality known According to the Trinity Chronicle, a tornado occurred near Nizhny Novgorod. This is the earliest known Russian tornado. It is said to have picked up a horse-drawn carriage and threw it so far away that it could no longer be seen. The carriage and the horse were later found but the man remained missing. Another source says that "a mighty storm and whirlwind ravage[d] the village", suggesting that structures were also affected by the tornado. 1406 Venice tornado 1406 Venice, Venetian Republic 1 Many fatalities A strong tornado hit Venice, destroying many houses and killing many people. 1453 Rodenberg tornado 1453 Rodenberg, Germany 1 18 A strong tornado moved through the village, destroying all barns and around 50 houses. 18 people were killed. According to tornadoliste it was rated F2. 1535 Oleśnica tornado 11 September 1535 Oleśnica, Poland 1 5 An F4 tornado destroyed part of the town. The roofs and gables on several houses were destroyed and streets were littered with shingles as a result. A brewery was completely destroyed. The tornado also damaged the castle of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony. 5 people were killed when the gable of the city hall collapsed on them. Lequile tornado 22 June 1546 Lequile, Italy 1 24 A tornado struck the villages of Lequile and San Pietro in Lama in southern Apulia near Lecce, causing catastrophic damage along a roughly 3 km long path. The tornado uprooted trees, destroyed houses and blew the roof off a church. 24 people were reportedly killed. Grand Harbour of Malta tornado 23 September 1551 (or 1556) Malta 1 ≈600 fatalities An intense waterspout came on-shore and struck the Grand Harbour of Valletta. A shipping armada which was about to go into battle was destroyed, causing the deaths of around 600 people. TORRO suggests the tornado caused T7 damage, equivalent to a high-end F3 or low-end F4 on the Fujita scale. Perhaps the deadliest European tornado. Nottingham tornado 7 July 1558 (or 1 July or 11 July) Nottingham, United Kingdom 1 5–7 On either 1, 7 or 11 July (sources differ) 1558 a tornado struck Sneinton (which today is a suburb of Nottingham). According to one contemporary report, the tornado tore through two towns, destroying all the houses and churches. Another independent report cites the near total destruction of the village of Sneinton. It is also reported that the tornado sucked water out of the river Trent and ripped trees out of the ground, throwing them several feet away. One child and 5 (possibly 6, sources differ) men were killed. TORRO suggests a rating of T7 for the tornado, equivalent to high-end F3.Kestřany tornado24 May 1582Kestřany, Bohemia1?A tornado struck Kestřany, destroying houses and uprooting trees. The tornado received a rating of F3. Rockhausen tornado 15 July 1582 Rockhausen, Germany 1 ? The tornado which was rated F4 nearly completely destroyed the village of Rockhausen; only two houses remained untouched. Neznašov tornado 6 July 1585 Neznašov, Bohemia 1 ? A tornado formed near Neznašov. From there it moved through a forest, uprooting trees along the way, before it reached the village of Temelín, where it completely destroyed several houses. The tornado then continued to Sedlec where it destroyed another house and turned a barn upside down. Multiple academic sources list this tornado as an F3.Koclířov tornado14 August 1585Koclířov, Bohemia1?A tornado formed near Kocléřov, which uprooted trees and destroyed several houses, including one manor. People were reportedly hurled into the air by the tornado and thrown into the mud, where they laid unconscious for some time. ESWD lists this tornado as an F3. Augsburg tornado 2 July 1587 Augsburg, Holy Roman Empire 1 ? The tornado occurred between 12 and 1 p.m. The event has been published in a pamphlet (including the oldest known depiction of a tornado) by Hans Schultes der Jüngere. Rome tornado of 1645 4 December 1645 Rome, Papal States 1 Many fatalities Probably F3. Lincolnshire tornado 23 October 1666 Lincolnshire, United Kingdom 1 3 On 23 October 1666 the most intense tornado on record for the UK (and England) passed through Welbourn, Wellingore, Navenby and Boothby Graffoe in Lincolnshire. The tornado has been rated at T8-9, roughly equivalent to an F4 on the Fujita scale. The tornado tracked for 5 km and reached a maximum path width of 200 meters. Thomas Short writing in 1749 described it as "it came with such Violence and Force, that at Welbourn it levelled most of the Houses to the Ground; broke down some, and tore up other Trees by the Roots, scattering abroad much Corn and Hay. One Boy only was killed. It went on to Wellingore, where it overthrew some Houses, and killed two Children in them. Thence it passed on and touched the Skirts of Navenby, and ruined a few Houses. Keeping its Course to the next Town Boothby Graffoe, where it dashed the Church Steeple in pieces, furiously rent the Church itself, both Stone and Timber Work, left little of either standing, only the Body of the Steeple." La Rochelle – Paris tornadoes September 1669 France >2 ? Longest tracked tornado family in Europe at , but the distance may be greater as the tornado possibly started as a waterspout over the Bay of Biscay. Earliest-known French tornadoes. Cádiz tornado 15 March 1671Esteban Mira Caballos, Las Armadas del Imperio: Poder y hegemonía en tiempo de los Austrias (La Esfera de los Libros, S.L.) Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain 1 ≥600 fatalities Sánchez-Laulhé (2005) classified this tornado as an F3, although ESWD lists it as an F4. The tornado destroyed houses and capsized many ships leading to the death of at least 600 people, although the number could be as high as 1500 fatalities. Veneto tornado 29 July 1686 Terrazzo, Dolo, Italy 1 8 fatalities A strong and long tracked tornado caused extensive damage from Terrazzo to Dolo, travelling for 40 miles in 1 hour, killing 8 people and injuring many others. This might have been an F3. Kaliningrad tornado12 August 1701Kaliningrad, Russia1?ESWD lists this tornado as an F3.Olomouc tornado13 August 1701Olomouc, Moravia1?Strong winds presumably from a tornado caused serious damage at Jindřichův Hradec and at Praskolesy near Telč. A number of houses were reportedly completely swept away. Despite this scientific literature only indicates an intensity of F1-F2.Schleswig-Holstein Tornado26 February 1718Schleswig-Holstein, Holy Roman Empire1?On the night of 25 to 26 February 1718 a violent tornado struck somewhere in modern-day Schleswig-Holstein. Not much is known about this tornado but reliable sources list the rating as an F4/T8 and indicate that well built stone houses were destroyed by this tornado.Möklinta Tornado27 September 1725Möklinta, Sweden1?One of the earliest known tornadoes in Sweden. The ESWD mentions that the tornado had an average width of 82 meters. Rome tornado of 1749 12 June 1749 Rome, Papal States 1 2 Originated as a waterspout over the Tyrrhenian Sea before coming on land and tracking for about 38 km. Reportedly devastated large parts of Rome. ESWD lists a rating of F3.Groden Tornado26 June 1756Cuxhaven, Holy Roman Empire10A violent tornado struck Groden (today part of Cuxhaven). A strong "whirlwind" accompanied by severe hail and heavy rain caused extensive damage in the village. According to contemporary sources several houses were destroyed or severely damaged. The roof of the local church also suffered extensive damage. Large trees were either snapped or uprooted. Tornadoliste lists this tornado as an F4. Padua tornado 17 August 1756 Veneto, Italy 1 8 A strong tornado, that was rated IF2, hit the city of Padua, apparently damaging the Palazzo della Ragione, destroying part of its roof. Great Malvern tornado of 1761 14 October 1761 Malvern, Worcestershire, Great Britain 1 ? 1764 Woldegk tornado 29 June 1764 Germany 3 1 Small tornado outbreak over Germany with 1 F5, 1 F3 and 1 F1. The F5 tornado traveled for 35 km along a 400–800 m wide path. 1 person was killed and 3 more were injured. A very detailed survey of the damage caused by this tornado was conducted by Gottlob Burchard Genzmer. This survey was remarkable for its time and would even hold up to modern scientific standards. The tornado caused phenomenal damage. In a field, the stumps of previously felled trees were pulled out of the ground and carried away. Houses were completely razed down to their foundations. Heavy cobblestones weighing 75 kg were rolled and according to eyewitness reports, a meteorological tsunami-