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Birmingham Tornado (UK)
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham Tornado was one of the strongest tornadoes recorded in the United Kingdom
in nearly 30 years, occurring on 28 July 2005 in the suburbs of Birmingham
. It formed on a day when strong tornadoes were expected to develop across the Midlands and eastern England. The tornado struck at approximately 2.30pm BST
in the Sparkbrook
area of the city, also affecting King's Heath, Moseley
and Balsall Heath
as it carved a kilometre-long path through the city. Its main effects were felt in the Ladypool Road which bore the brunt of the damage. Ladypool Primary School
was extensively damaged and lost its distinctive Martin & Chamberlain
tower. The adjacent St Agatha's Church
also suffered some damage. Christ Church (consecrated 1867), on the corner of Dolobran Road and Grantham Road in Sparkbrook was also damaged and has now been demolished.
The Met Office
and TORRO (The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation) has estimated that the tornado had a general T4 rating on the TORRO scale
with a short spell as a T5 tornado, which would mean wind speeds between 93 and 130 mph, equivalent to an F2 on the Fujita scale
.
There were no fatalities, although there were approximately 19 injuries, three of which were reported to be serious. The tornado uprooted an estimated 1000 trees, removed the roofs of buildings, picked up and deposited cars and caused other damage during its short existence. The total cost of damage has been put at £40 million, making it the most costly tornado in British history.
While the United Kingdom has more reported tornadoes, relative to its land area, than any other country excluding the Netherlands
, the vast majority are weak. The strongest recorded tornado in the country struck Portsmouth
on December 14, 1810 with a T8 (F4) rating and a top wind speed of 213 to 240 mph.
, which hit less than a mile away from the original twister. The Met Office said there were winds of up to 80mph and it was strong enough to rip the roof off a corner house. Following this came widespread flooding across the region which brought havoc to Birmingham
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in nearly 30 years, occurring on 28 July 2005 in the suburbs of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. It formed on a day when strong tornadoes were expected to develop across the Midlands and eastern England. The tornado struck at approximately 2.30pm BST
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
in the Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council.-Etymology:...
area of the city, also affecting King's Heath, Moseley
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, two miles south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants...
and Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
as it carved a kilometre-long path through the city. Its main effects were felt in the Ladypool Road which bore the brunt of the damage. Ladypool Primary School
Ladypool Junior & Infant School
Ladypool Primary School is a Grade II* listed primary school on Stratford Road in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England. It stands next to St Agatha's Church....
was extensively damaged and lost its distinctive Martin & Chamberlain
Martin & Chamberlain
John Henry Chamberlain, William Martin, and Frederick Martin were architects in Victorian Birmingham, England. Their names are attributed singly or pairs to many red brick and terracotta buildings, particularly 41 of the forty-odd Birmingham board schools made necessary by the Elementary Education...
tower. The adjacent St Agatha's Church
St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook
The Church of St Agatha is a parish church in the Church of England in Sparkbrook in Birmingham, England.-Background:It was designed by W. H. Bidlake. It is now a Grade I listed building....
also suffered some damage. Christ Church (consecrated 1867), on the corner of Dolobran Road and Grantham Road in Sparkbrook was also damaged and has now been demolished.
The Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
and TORRO (The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation) has estimated that the tornado had a general T4 rating on the TORRO scale
TORRO scale
The TORRO tornado intensity scale is a scale measuring tornado intensity between T0 and T11. It was developed by Terence Meaden of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation , a meteorological organisation in the United Kingdom, as an extension of the Beaufort scale.- History and derivation from...
with a short spell as a T5 tornado, which would mean wind speeds between 93 and 130 mph, equivalent to an F2 on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
.
There were no fatalities, although there were approximately 19 injuries, three of which were reported to be serious. The tornado uprooted an estimated 1000 trees, removed the roofs of buildings, picked up and deposited cars and caused other damage during its short existence. The total cost of damage has been put at £40 million, making it the most costly tornado in British history.
While the United Kingdom has more reported tornadoes, relative to its land area, than any other country excluding the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the vast majority are weak. The strongest recorded tornado in the country struck Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on December 14, 1810 with a T8 (F4) rating and a top wind speed of 213 to 240 mph.
Second tornado
Three months later, strong winds and driving rain brought a second tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
, which hit less than a mile away from the original twister. The Met Office said there were winds of up to 80mph and it was strong enough to rip the roof off a corner house. Following this came widespread flooding across the region which brought havoc to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Earlier tornado
A tornado stuck the city in 1931, killing one woman and severely damaging several houses.See also
- List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- Climate of the United KingdomClimate of the United KingdomThe United Kingdom straddles the geographic mid-latitudes between 50-60 N from the equator. It is also positioned on the western seaboard of Eurasia, the world's largest land mass. These boundary conditions allow convergence between moist maritime air and dry continental air...