This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2015. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, Brazil and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather including strong thunderstorms, winds and hail. There were 1,178 tornadoes reported in the United States in 2015 according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), of which at least 1,178 have been confirmed. Worldwide, 109 fatalities have been reported: 45 in Pakistan, 36 in the United States, 14 in Mexico, seven in China, three in Myanmar, two in Brazil and one each in Italy and Russia.
2015 ended the very quiet trend of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons, and it was the most active in four years.
Synopsis Throughout much of the first half of 2015, tornado activity was near record low mostly due to a continuous pattern of a trough in the east, bringing colder than average temperatures there. A ridge in the west brought warmer than average temperatures in the west. The pattern changed in late March and early April to allow for a few tornado outbreaks. One particular tornado outbreak spawned a deadly EF4 tornado near Rochelle, Illinois, on April 9.
During May, a few large tornado outbreaks occurred in a time span from May 5 to May 26, leading it to be the most active tornado month since April 2011 and the most active May since 2008. Average to above average tornado outbreak continued to occur in June and July, decreasing slightly between August - October.
Due to a significant El Niño event, November and December were extremely active months, with over 20 fatalities in December alone, the majority of which came from 2 EF4 tornadoes in Mississippi (December 23) and Texas (December 26), days apart from each other. 93 tornadoes were reported in December, well above average for that month, mainly from 2 significant tornado outbreaks days before and immediately after Christmas. Furthermore, 2015 was the first year since 2011 to see a total of more than 1,000 tornadoes across the United States.
Events United States
United States yearly total
January January 3–4 (United States)
On January 1, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) began highlighting the potential for severe weather across portions of the central Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley. The following day, the pre-existing Marginal risk was upgraded to a Slight risk across southeastern Louisiana, southeastern Mississippi, and southwestern Alabama. On January 3, the combination of high dewpoints, marginal instability, and strong wind shear allowed for the development of supercells across central and southern Mississippi, where an Enhanced risk was briefly introduced. An EF2 tornado touched down west of Rose Hill, Mississippi, causing significant damage, while several other tornadoes were recorded. Activity spread eastward on January 4, with a second EF2 tornado causing substantial damage north of Dozier, Alabama.
February No notable tornado events occurred in the month of February across the globe.
March March 24–25 (United States)
Early on March 24, the SPC outlined an Enhanced risk for severe weather across portions of southwestern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma, where conditions were expected to become favorable for strong supercells. That afternoon, a waterspout over Bull Shoals Lake moved ashore as an EF0 tornado but caused no damage. Numerous reports of damaging winds and hail were relayed. On March 25, a more substantial severe weather risk evolved across southwestern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma, where the SPC outlined the year's first Moderate risk. At 22:21 UTC, a waterspout spawned over Keystone Lake and moved through Sand Springs, Oklahoma, causing EF2 damage in a mobile home park where one fatality and 30 injuries were observed. At 23:34 UTC, a second EF2 tornado developed and tracked through southwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, before entering Moore. Several structures sustained substantial damage, and several cars were flipped and overturned on I-35. Several other weak tornadoes touched down in adjacent states as well.
April April 2 (India) On April 2, a tornado of unknown strength struck the city of Bikaner in Rajasthan, India. At least 50 families were displaced by the storm.
April 2–3 (United States)
On April 2, upper-level southwesterly flow overspread the Ozarks and Ohio River Valley, where an Enhanced risk for severe weather was introduced by the SPC. A surface low tracked into Ontario, supporting a cold front down into southern Missouri. Throughout the afternoon hours, a shortwave trough tracked across the Central Plains, providing ample lift for the development of severe thunderstorms. Several weak tornadoes were recorded. On April 3, the Enhanced risk shifted southeast, encompassing portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. An EF2 tornado tracked north of Pomona, Missouri, in the pre-dawn hours, damaging or destroying several buildings. Several tornadoes of lesser intensity were observed farther east.
April 6 (Myanmar) On April 6, three people were killed and five others were injured when a tornado struck two villages within Phakant, Kachin State, Myanmar.
April 8–9 (United States)
A two-day severe weather episode affected parts of the Great Plains and Midwestern United States. Several EF0 tornadoes occurred on April 8 in the south central part of Kansas, including some to the northwest of Wichita, Kansas, near the towns of Garden Plain and Andale. An EF1 tornado caused moderate damage as it struck the town of Potosi, Missouri, that evening as well. Several tornadoes were also reported from Texas to Illinois on April 9. A multiple-vortex EF1 tornado struck the towns of Clinton, Iowa, and Fulton, Illinois, and an EF2 tornado near Mount Selman, Texas, snapped and uprooted numerous trees, damaged outbuildings, and removed the roof and collapsed a few exterior walls at a frame home.
The most significant event of the outbreak was a violent, long-tracked, very high-end EF4 wedge tornado that moved along a 30.14 mile-long path across several counties in northern Illinois, killing two people and injuring another 22. An EF0 satellite tornado also caused major damage to outbuildings at the Summerfield Zoo near Belvidere, where two animals were killed. Two other EF1 tornadoes from the same parent supercell also occurred near Belvidere after the main EF4 dissipated, causing mostly minor damage, though one home lost most of its roof. Another tornado spawned by a separate supercell passed near Cherry Valley, though it remained over open country and caused no damage. Overall, this relatively small outbreak produced 2 fatalities and 24 tornadoes.
April 20 (Brazil)
A long-tracked, rain-wrapped F2 wedge tornado spawned by a supercell thunderstorm struck the city of Xanxerê, Santa Catarina in Brazil during the afternoon of April 20, resulting in major damage. Approximately 500 homes were damaged in the city, many of which lost their roofs and exterior walls, and some smaller homes were completely destroyed. Many trees and power lines were downed, trees were snapped and debarked, vehicles were overturned, and industrial buildings sustained severe damage as well. Two people lost their lives. Additionally, 120 people were injured, 15 critically. The meteorological consulting agency MetSul Meteorologia stated it was one of the largest tornadoes ever recorded in Brazil. Roughly 1,000 people were forced out of their homes due to the storm. The city of Ponte Serrada was struck by an F1 tornado on the same day.
April 26 (Pakistan)
A storm, initially described as a "mini cyclone," later determined to be a tornado, struck the Valley of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, killing 45 people and injuring at least 162.
May May 5 (Germany)
A localized tornado outbreak impacted northeastern Germany on May 5. The first tornado of the day touched down briefly in the city of Lübeck, uprooting some trees. Another brief tornado was sighted near Neu Kaliß, causing no known damage, while an F1 tornado damaged trees, sheds, fences, a warehouse, and the roofs of homes in Brüel. Another F1 tornado caused tree damage in the Ahrensboek area as well. A strong F2 tornado passed through the west edge of Groß Laasch, flattening a large swath of trees and severely damaging a brick train station, which sustained roof loss and collapse of multiple exterior walls. The most significant tornado of the event was a destructive F3 wedge tornado which hit the town of Bützow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, causing major structural damage and littering streets with bricks and debris. Numerous large and well-built brick homes, churches, and other buildings were heavily damaged, several had their roofs torn off, and a few sustained collapse of exterior walls. A large garage structure and a small, wood-framed bungalow style home were both completely destroyed in town. Pieces of lumber were impaled through the walls of some structures, and sheet metal was wrapped around trees. Many large trees throughout Bützow were snapped or denuded, and vehicles were flipped and thrown, including one that car was thrown 70 meters by the tornado. The tornado was on the ground for 14.8 km, had a path width up to 1.5 km wide, and injured 30 people. An F1 tornado also downed trees near Woland. Overall, this small outbreak produced seven tornadoes. In addition, damaging straight-line thunderstorm winds killed one person and injured 30 others in Hamburg. This event followed an episode of unusually warm weather in the area.
May 5–10 (United States)
A six-day outbreak of tornadic activity began on May 5 with isolated tornadoes in western Texas. More widespread and significant activity occurred on May 6. Much of central Oklahoma experienced tornadoes, and the town of Bridge Creek sustained major impacts from a large EF3 tornado, where several businesses and homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. Another EF3 tornado caused major damage in southwestern parts of Oklahoma City, just north of Valley Brook, where a hotel, several self-storage units, a mobile home park, and an RV park were heavily damaged, numerous vehicles were flipped, and at least 12 people were injured. Large, strong tornadoes, including two EF3 tornadoes, severely damaged or completely destroyed rural homes near the Kansas towns of Mount Hope, Scandia, and Munden. Several additional less intense tornadoes occurred on May 7 and May 8 across an area extending from Colorado to Texas. Another wave of significant tornado activity occurred on May 9 throughout an area extending from Nebraska to Texas. This included a large EF3 tornado that caused major damage and killed one person near Cisco, Texas. Destructive tornado activity continued on May 10, as a high-end EF2 tornado struck the town of Delmont, South Dakota, where severe structural damage and injuries occurred. Later that evening, a multiple-vortex EF1 tornado struck Lake City, Iowa, where homes were damaged, trees and power lines were downed, and the local high school had its roof torn off. Significant tornadoes continued to touch down after sunset later that night, and the town of Van, Texas, was devastated by a strong EF3 tornado, where two people were killed and 47 others were injured. Two other fatalities occurred in Nashville, Arkansas, when an EF2 tornado struck a mobile home park. A total of 127 tornadoes were confirmed and rated as a result of this outbreak sequence.
May 13–14 (Europe)