Does the UK Get Tornadoes?
In short: Measured by area, the UK reports more tornadoes than the US as a whole, though most British tornadoes are small and weak, many form along cold fronts, and the records themselves are incomplete.
A 1:22 short film in the series “Invisible Atmosphere”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds); article in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, published by Wiley on behalf of the Royal Meteorological Society, “Synoptic and mesoscale controls for tornadogenesis on cold fronts: A generalised measure of tornado risk and identification of synoptic types”; Taylor & Francis (journal review article: Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks), “Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks”; Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society), via White Rose Research Online, Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York; authors from the Met Office and University of Leeds, “On the mesoscale structure of surface wind and pressure fields near tornadic and nontornadic cold fronts”; White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds repository); article by Clark, Parker and Hanley in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society (Wiley, 2021), “Synoptic-scale and mesoscale controls for tornadogenesis on cold fronts: Shear-zone vortex-genesis in a developing frontal wave”; NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), U.S. Department of Commerce, “Severe Weather 101: Tornado Types”; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, “Tornadoes”; The Guardian (Weatherwatch column by Kate Ravilious, 19 Oct 2011), “Weatherwatch: Britain's earliest recorded tornado”; The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO), “The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO)”; The University of Manchester (article by David Schultz, republished from The Conversation), “Tornadoes in the UK are surprisingly common and no one knows why”.
Sources used in this film
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds); article in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, published by Wiley on behalf of the Royal Meteorological Society — Synoptic and mesoscale controls for tornadogenesis on cold fronts: A generalised measure of tornado risk and identification of synoptic types · View →
- Taylor & Francis (journal review article: Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks) — Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks · View →
- Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society), via White Rose Research Online, Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York; authors from the Met Office and University of Leeds — On the mesoscale structure of surface wind and pressure fields near tornadic and nontornadic cold fronts · View →
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds repository); article by Clark, Parker and Hanley in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society (Wiley, 2021) — Synoptic-scale and mesoscale controls for tornadogenesis on cold fronts: Shear-zone vortex-genesis in a developing frontal wave · View →
- NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), U.S. Department of Commerce — Severe Weather 101: Tornado Types · View →
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce — Tornadoes · View →
- The Guardian (Weatherwatch column by Kate Ravilious, 19 Oct 2011) — Weatherwatch: Britain's earliest recorded tornado · View →
- The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) — The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) · View →
- The University of Manchester (article by David Schultz, republished from The Conversation) — Tornadoes in the UK are surprisingly common and no one knows why · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds); article in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, publ: Synoptic and mesoscale controls for tornadogenesis on cold fronts: A generalised measure of tornado risk and identification of synoptic types
- Also: Taylor & Francis (journal review article: Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks): Environmental Controls on Tornadoes and Tornado Outbreaks
- Also: Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society), via White Rose Research Online, Universities of Leeds, Sheffie: On the mesoscale structure of surface wind and pressure fields near tornadic and nontornadic cold fronts
- Also: White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds repository); article by Clark, Parker and Hanley in the Quarterly Journa: Synoptic-scale and mesoscale controls for tornadogenesis on cold fronts: Shear-zone vortex-genesis in a developing frontal wave
- Also: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL): Severe Weather 101: Tornado Types
- Also: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce: Tornadoes
- Also: The Guardian (Weatherwatch column by Kate Ravilious, 19 Oct 2011): Weatherwatch: Britain's earliest recorded tornado
- Also: The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO): The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO)
- Also: The University of Manchester (article by David Schultz, republished from The Conversation): Tornadoes in the UK are surprisingly common and no one knows why
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