2006 London tornado
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 7 December 2006 11:00 GMT |
| T5 tornado | |
| on the TORRO scale | |
| Highest winds | 137–160 mph (220–257 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Injuries | 6 |
| Areas affected | Kensal Green, northwest London |
The 2006 London tornado was a significant United Kingdom tornado spawned from a squall line moving over the city on 7 December 2006 at approximately 11:02 GMT. Its intensity is estimated to have been T5 on the TORRO scale, equating to F2 on the Fujita scale.
Meteorological synopsis
[edit]On the morning of 7 December, the UK was under the influence of a strong Atlantic Ocean low pressure system, which was named Ulrike,[1] bringing unstable weather conditions to much of the UK, and the south in particular. At approximately 07:30 GMT, a small band of thunderstorms initialised over Cornwall moving east-northeast across the country. By approximately 10:00 am, the squall line had reached Salisbury, where a drop in humidity was recorded, which may have resulted in an increase of atmospheric pressure behind the squall, causing it to accelerate forward. This increased motion in combination with a change in wind direction ahead of the storm may have initialised the rotation of the mesocyclone in one of the now strong storm cells, resulting in the touchdown of the T5 tornado in Kensal Rise, London, at 11 am.[2]
Aftermath
[edit]The London Fire Brigade and structural surveyors assessed the damage and structural safety of affected properties. In the meantime, several hundred people were displaced from their homes until they had been declared safe for their occupants to return. Brent London Borough Council, speaking to a national newspaper, announced that none of the affected properties are likely to be demolished, though a total of 29 homes have been declared as unfit for habitation due to the damage caused by the tornado.[3]
See also
[edit]- List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- Tornadoes of 2006
- 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
References
[edit]- ^ "December 7, 2006 pressure chart". Free University of Berlin. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ Knightley, Paul (7 December 2006). "Tornadoes in the British Isles". MeteoGroup. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2006.
- ^ "Tornado homes escape demolition". BBC News. 9 December 2006.
External links
[edit]- Six hurt as tornado hits London – BBC News
- Clark, M.R. (June 2011). "Doppler radar observations of mesovortices within a cool-season tornadic squall line over the UK". Atmos. Res. 100 (4): 749–64. Bibcode:2011AtmRe.100..749C. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2010.09.007.