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posted by janrinok on Wednesday August 14 2019, @11:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the that's-a-blow dept.

As severe thunderstorms continue to hit parts of Europe, the results can be dramatic.

[A] tornado struck the communities of Pettingen and Kaerjengin, near the border with France and Belgium, leaving a path of destruction that destroyed some 100 houses.

[...] A spokesperson for Luxembourg police reported a "swath of desolation" spanning up to six kilometres. The country's rescue centre said cleanup would take days. Emergency shelters have been set up for those who lost their homes.

On the same day, a tornado swept through Amsterdam's Oosterdok Basin, in the Netherlands, as storms hit the region. No injuries were reported and the damage was minimal.

Tornadoes are less common in Europe than in the United States, where Tornado Alley in the Midwest experiences hundreds every year. So far this year, there have been 1,300 confirmed tornadoes in the US. While Europe's tornado touchdowns are not as frequent, every year between 200 and 400 occurrences are reported. Italy and Greece see more tornado activity, as the warm, moist Mediterranean air clashes with the cool, dryer air over the mountains.

[...] The United Kingdom also sees a high number of tornadoes, averaging between 30 and 50 each year. That is more tornadoes average land area than anywhere in the world, apart from the Netherlands.

[...] Most tornadoes that develop across Europe have much less damaging effect than those in the US, but Luxembourg on Friday was one exception, as was the case in 2005 in Birmingham in the UK. The 2005 tornado lasted for approximately 10 minutes, with wind speeds up to 233km/h. It uprooted about 1,000 trees, injured 19 people and caused damage of around 40 million British pounds ($49m).


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  • (Score: 1) by Debvgger on Wednesday August 14 2019, @04:21PM

    by Debvgger (545) on Wednesday August 14 2019, @04:21PM (#880301)

    Taking a look at the Dust Devil picture I can really tell you it's exactly what I witnessed / experienced. Thanks for the comment!