From 14 to 19 February 2022, a European windstorm struck the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The storm was named Storm Dudley by the UK Met Office on 14 February 2022.⚠️ Yellow weather warning UPDATED ⚠️#StormDudley will bring strong winds to the north of the UK Wednesday 1500 – Thursday 1800 Latest info 👉 http://bit.ly/WxWarning Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ #TwoStorms, UK Met Office, Twitter, 14 February 2022 The storm caused 225,000 people to lose power, killed nine people, and spawned 24 tornadoes across Europe. The storm occurred just before the stronger and more impactful Storm Eunice, which caused over 3.1 million power outages,Storm Franklin hits UK with flooding and high winds, BBC News, 21 February 2021 17 fatalities, and over €1.83 billion in damage.
Meteorological history Storm Dudley, along with Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin, formed by a sting jet, a narrow band of winds that can create narrow and intense winds in a small area. It was also partly due to a large polar vortex in the Arctic that formed these storms. The storm trio isn't particularly rare for the area, as it has happened before.In Trio of storms hitting Western Europe, role of climate change is complicated, Mongabay, 22 February 2022 The storm also brought a very rare formation of mammatus clouds, and brought wind gusts of in Capel Cruig, Wales, in Yorkshire and in Drumalbin, Scotland.Met Office explains why Storm Dudley caused odd cloud formations 'like a painting', Mirror, 16 February 2022
Preparations and impacts
United Kingdom The United Kingdom saw one fatality due to Storm Dudley. Dudley was expected to bring winds of , which caused travel restrictions. The Environment Agency issued 38 flood alerts for the UK.Storm Dudley: Thousands of people lose electricity due to damage, BBC News, 17 February 2022 In Yorkshire, a falling power line electrocuted 13 dogs.Storm Dudley: Falling power line kills 13 dogs in North Yorkshire, BBC, 17 February 2022 During the cleanup of Storm Dudley, Storm Eunice struck, further compounding the damage.Storm Eunice looms as Storm Dudley clear-up continues, BBC News, 17 February 2022 PwC estimated the insurance losses for the storm to be between £40 million and £75 million.
Germany Storm Dudley causes three deaths in Germany, and spawned winds up to in the country.Storm Ylenia (Dudley) wreaks havoc across northern Europe, leaving at least 5 people dead, Watchers, 18 February 2022 The Elbe River flowed higher than normal, and a ferry had its windows shattered.Scary video shows giant wave shattering ferry windows, New York Post, 17 February 2022 The storm also spawned one tornado in Germany, in Brandenburg, which was rated as an F1/T3 tornado.European storm database, European Severe Weather Database
Poland The storm produced a very intense squall line of severe thunderstorms that moved through Poland, producing damaging straight-line winds and numerous embedded tornadoes. A man in Western Poland near Gorzów Wielkopolski died when a tree fell on his car. Meanwhile, a tornado in Kraków caused a long crane to collapse, killing two people and injuring two others. Another tornado in Sierosław injured one, and an F2 tornado in Wójcice injured two. Overall, 23 tornadoes were confirmed in Poland.
Lithuania Storm Dudley killed two people in Lithuania due to strong winds.
Tornado outbreak
List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, 17 February 2022 F# T# Location District/County Coord. Time (UTC) Path length Comments/DamageGermany F1 T3Casekow Brandenburg00:461.1 km, max. width 70mThis high-end F1 tornado damaged multiple buildings in and around Casekow. Homes in town sustained considerable roof damage, farmhouses were badly damaged outside of town, and horse stables were destroyed. Roof and solar panels were lifted and thrown, with parts shredded to pieces. Heavy damage occurred in a small wooded area, with many trees debranched and snapped.Poland F1N/ASkwierzyna Lubuskie 02:00 (+/- 5 min.)UnknownRoofs of homes were damaged and windows were blown out. Large tree branches were snapped, and pieces of wood were thrown and impaled into a building's insulation layer. F2N/AIzdebno Wielkopolskie 02:241.1 kmSignificant damage to a local forest was reported, and drone photos showed that a large swath of trees was flattened in a convergent pattern. F2N/ASucharzewo Wielkopolskie 03:03UnknownSignificant damage to houses and outbuildings occurred, with some structures largely destroyed. A brick cowshed collapsed, killing a bull inside. Swaths of trees were mowed down in forested areas, and some debarking was noted. FUN/AKrzykosyWielkopolskie03:11UnknownPower transmission lines and trees were downed, and residences sustained roof damage. At least one building was unroofed entirely. F2N/AMłodzikowice Wielkopolskie 03:180.9 kmA masonry outbuilding and a garage were largely destroyed, along with the roof of a cowshed with 50 cows living inside the building. Large trees were snapped in a convergent pattern in forested areas. F2 T4Grzywna Szlachecka, KuczwałyKujawsko-Pomorskie 03:22600mMasonry outbuildings were destroyed, and vehicles were also damaged. Homes sustained roof, insulation, and window damage, and some buildings had damage to walls. F2 T4Nowe Miasto nad WartąWielkopolskie03:251.7 km, max. width 240mA swath of large trees were snapped and uprooted in a convergent pattern as this tornado moved through forested areas. F2N/ALgów Wielkopolskie03:32UnknownSevere damage occurred in Lgów, where homes had their roofs torn off, outbuildings were destroyed, and debris was scattered throughout the community. Cars had windows blown out and were damaged by flying debris, and numerous large trees were snapped in a forest outside of town. F2N/AKosewo Wielkopolskie03:340.1 km max. width 100 mA very brief but strong tornado downed trees in a convergent pattern and tossed boats at Lake Powidzkie. A residential building was heavily damaged, and sustained damage to its windows and insulation layer. F2 T5Dobrzyca, Sośnica Wielkopolskie03:42UnknownSignificant structural damage occurred in Dobrzyca, where numerous homes had their roofs destroyed or torn off, and some sustained loss of their upper-floor exterior walls. Power lines were downed, streets were strewn with debris, and vehicles were also damaged. Large trees were snapped in and around town. F2N/AStara CiświcaWielkopolskie03:50 (+/- 15 min.)UnknownHomes and a church had roofing torn off. Several outbuildings were destroyed, and others had walls partially collapsed. Some ducks were killed at a duck farm in the area, and many trees were uprooted and snapped. F1 T3Żurawin Wielkopolskie03:55 (+/- 15 min.)UnknownA house had its metal roof blown off, with wooden beams and metal sheets blown at least 150 metres away from the structure. A few trees were also damaged. F2N/ATykadłów, Żelazków, Zborów, Podzborów Wielkopolskie04:00 (+/- 5 min.) UnknownExtensive damage occurred as this tornado impacted multiple villages, where homes and other structures had their roofs destroyed, and some had walls collapsed. Cars and buildings had their windows blown out, and many trees were snapped or uprooted. A soccer field was damaged as well. F1 T3Laski Wielkopolskie04:09 UnknownTrucks and trailers were overturned, and roofs were almost entirely torn off from residential buildings, with debris left deposited in nearby trees. F1 T3ŁękaWielkopolskie04:10 (+/- 5 min.) UnknownRoofs were damaged or destroyed in the village as a result of this high-end F1 tornado. In one case, a wooden beam was found speared into a building. Trees in a nearby forest were downed in a convergent pattern. F1 T3Lipicze Górne, Ziemięcin Łódzkie 04:12UnknownRoofs of outbuildings were destroyed, and at least two had walls partly collapsed. Parts of sheet metal and wooden beams from a building were blown off and scattered 100–150 metres away. Trees were downed in a local forest as well. F2N/ASłomków Kościelny Wielkopolskie04:13UnknownA summer house was completely destroyed, and a nearby car was overturned and heavily damaged. F2N/AWójcice, Smaszków Łódzkie 04:15 (+/- 5 min.)UnknownNumerous houses, outbuildings and trees sustained severe damage in both villages. A greenhouse was damaged, large masonry outbuildings were destroyed, and homes had their roofs torn off. Power transmission and communication lines were downed, and trees were snapped or uprooted. A 65-year-old woman sustained head injuries from a falling roof truss, and her 16-year-old grandson was injured by flying glass. F1 T3Aleksandria Łódzkie 04:20 (+/- 5 min.)UnknownSeveral buildings in close proximity to each other were considerably damaged. Trucks and trailers were overturned, and walls were partly collapsed. F2N/ARóżyce Grochowe, Sulimy, Mrożewice Łódzkie 04:30 (+/- 5 min.)3 kmStructures in multiple villages sustained major roof damage, with debris scattered over 400 metres away. Large masonry outbuildings were almost fully destroyed and an area of forest was flattened, with many large trees snapped or uprooted. FUN/ASierosław Łódzkie 05:05 (+/- 5 min.)UnknownAlmost every building in Sierosław suffered some degree of damage, some of which had their roofs torn off, including a few that sustained damage to their brick exterior walls. Farms in the area were significantly damaged, and metal truss electrical transmission towers were blown over. Two trucks were overturned outside of town, and one of the drivers sustained injuries. FUN/AKrakówMałopolskie 8:05 (+/- 5 min.)Unknown2 deaths – A large construction crane was toppled to the ground, killing two construction workers. The roof of a supermarket was heavily damaged, with debris from the building strewn throughout the area. Some cars were damaged by flying roof debris, and two people were injured.
Highest wind gust per country
Country Gust Location Date 112 km/h Zeebrugge 16 February 160 km/h Boskovice 17 February 130 km/h Frøslevlejren 17 February 164 km/h Calais 16 February 153 km/h Großer Arber 17 February 156 km/h Saint Anne 16 February 148 km/h Waterford 16 February 154 km/h Saint John 16 February 102 km/h Lac de la Haute-Sûre 17 February 116 km/h Lauwersoog 17 February 146 km/h Kikół 17 February 166 km/h North Walsham 16 February
See also Storm Eunice – impacted similar areas two days later
References
External links Tornado Hits Kraków, Poland - Feb. 17, 2022 tornado w Krakowie