1913 United Kingdom tornado outbreak

The 1913 United Kingdom tornado outbreak was an outbreak of tornadoes, particularly over England and Wales, on 27 October 1913. The most notable tornadoes occurred in South Wales, where at least two tornadoes had winds of at least 160 mph. This is equal to an F3 on the Fujita scale. One of the tornadoes, at Edwardsville, Merthyr Tydfil, resulted in 6 deaths and hundreds of injuries. This is the deadliest-known tornado to occur in the United Kingdom. Other notable tornadoes struck in Cheshire and Shropshire.

Meteorological background


A rapidly deepening low-pressure extratropical cyclone tracked quickly south on the afternoon of 27 October. The central pressure of the system was 990 mbar at midnight on the 27th, deepening to 975 mbar by 18:00. The low pressure helped to sustain a stream of strong southerly winds, as in days previous, sustaining significantly warmer than average conditions. Temperatures were widely reported over 70 F in some places. Active weather fronts arriving from the Atlantic Ocean resulted in the instability needed to cause such tornadoes. The low pressure brought cooler air to the country by the 31st.

Other tornadoes
Other tornadoes were reported in England at Blackpool, Craypole, Peckforton, Oundle, Exeter, Collumpton and Worthing. The final tornado of the outbreak was reported at Witcombe Park, Gloucester at around 17:20 on 28 October. A tornado was reported in Scotland at Crathes and in Ireland at Crosshaven. However, all of these tornadoes were generally weak.