Tornado Strikes Koshigaya, Saitama Region - Near Tokyo...

A strong tornado struck the Koshigaya region in Saitama Prefecture, to the North of Tokyo, Japan earlier today (local time).  The above screen grab was taken from the following video that was recently posted to YouTube:

Here is another YouTube video of the tornado from a different perspective (videography is not as good as the one above, but still revealing at times):

Damage is reported as widespread in the region, with regional media indicating 400+ buildings damaged and over 60 people injured.

The following photos of some of the damage were posted to twitter by Robert Speta, a U.S. meteorologist who is working in the area:

The Asahi Shimbun news agency posted the following damage photos:

Local radar (via Robert Speta on twitter) showed an apparent hook echo as the storm moved Northeast across the area:

Reportedly, over 30,000 households continue to be without power at this time.

Tornadoes are not unheard of in this area, but are unusual, especially compared to activity in the U.S.  The most deadly tornado in recent years took place on November 7, 2006 when 9 people were killed as a tornado struck the Saroma, Hokkaido region.

On May 6 of last year, a tornado struck the Tsukuba, Ibaraki region, killing a 14 year old boy and damaging over 800 homes.  An article on that tornado was posted on this blog at the time and can be found here.

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Too Close for Comfort: Tornado Video from Milan, Italy Yesterday

From the "Don't Try This At Home" Department, incredible video of a tornado passing overhead or very nearby the videographer in the Trezzo region of Milan, Italy yesterday.

Due to the relative rarity of such an event in this region, it is quite possible that the videographer didn't realize the danger involved in what he was doing.  All disclaimers aside, the video is very impressive and an excellent educational tool.

The whistling sound that you hear beginning about midway through the video is the sound of the wind racing through the "air tight" windows of the commercial building.  About the same time the whistling begins, you'll see a transformer explode outside the window.

I could not embed the video in any other way other than landscape mode, so be sure to click the "full screen" button in the lower right hand corner to view the entire image.

Below is another video of the same tornado from far enough away such that you can actually see the condensation funnel:

According to media reports, 12 people were injured.

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"Catastrophic" Hail Damage in Burgundy Region of France

One or more rounds of severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and large hail pounded the Burgundy region of France on Tuesday afternoon (local time).  

Several vineyards are calling the damage "catastrophic", with some areas reporting 90% or more of their crops destroyed.  The photo above shows extensive damage (right half of the picture) to a vineyard in Beaune (photo courtesy Iain Doire).

Thunderstorms with hail of ping pong ball size or larger have plagued the region in recent years.  About this same time last year, nearly 60% of crops were impacted by another hail storm that struck the region.

Lower than average yields in recent years have resulted in increased pressure on prices, which are likely to continue to rise as a result of the latest incident.

For more information, see this article at thedrinksbusiness.com.  

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America Isn't the Only Place with Tornado Troubles this Week...

The above tornado, apparently strong, was captured on video in the Tula Region of Russia earlier today (U.S. time).  As of this writing I do not have information on casualties.

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Large Tornado in Emilia Romagna Italy Today...

A large tornado struck the Emilia Romagna region of Italy earlier today (local time).  The above video was recently posted on YouTube and the still photo below was posted on twitter:

One of the same supercell thunderstorms also produced very large hail across the area (which is not typical of this region):

The radar snapshot below shows the same types of supercell thunderstorm signatures across northern Italy today that we'd typically see here in the central U.S.!

...and a related visible satellite picture shows "overshooting tops" on at least 3 storms, which signifies very large hail (as confirmed by the picture above):

You can read more about the event here.

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Damaging Tornado Strikes Yarrawonga, Mulwala Australia Areas...

A large, damaging tornado struck the communities of Yarrawonga and Mulwala in New South Wales, Australia this morning (U.S. time).  This is about 135-140 miles North/Northeast of Melbourne.

The above photo is a screen grab taken from this video posted to facebook.

Another video of the tornado was recently posted to YouTube (note the power flashes, especially toward the end of the short clip):

Stephen Hicks of Yarrawonga took this photo of the tornado as posted to facebook:

Authorities say at least 90 people have been injured, though fortunately most appeared to be "walking wounded".  

Damage reports so far include the roof of a post office being removed, as well as widespread tree, powerline and vehicle damage.  Large hail also reportedly accompanied the storms that hit the region during the late afternoon and early evening hours (Australian time).

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Coming March 2013:  "The Tornado Chronicles" full website!

• Interactive tornado database back to 1950 (earlier years coming soon)

• Interactive radar with live warnings and street-level zoom

• Tornado safety, preparedness and education

• Daily tornado/severe weather outlook

• Photos, videos and more!

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Tornado Strikes Sasolburg, South Africa; 1 Dead, Over 100 Injured...

An apparent tornado struck Sasolburg, Free State in South Africa before dawn today (U.S. time).  According to media reports, an elderly woman was killed and over 105 people were injured.  Over 1,000 homes "have been affected" according to the Independent Online news service.

The following photo of damage was posted on twitter by "kgitsane".  If you look closely in the background, you can see apparent damage to the roofs of the homes, and obviously you can see remnants of the twisted metal roofs in the foreground:

Here are some another damage photos posted via twitter.  The original photographers were not identified:

As you can see, construction type varies greatly across the region, from no more than a metal shack to better constructed, brick veneer on wood frames.  With that in mind, its easy to see how more than 100 people could have been injured, and though a horrible loss for the family of the deceased person, its amazing that only 1 person was killed.

The vast range of construction types is even better illustrated by this video of the damage that has just emerged on YouTube:

Sasolburg (circled in red on the map below) is located about 45 miles to the South/Southwest of Johannesburg (circled in purple on the map below):

The same general area was also hit by a tornado in February of last year.  Tornadoes are not unheard of in this region, especially during the months of November through January. 

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Coming March 2013:  The Tornado Chronicles full website!

Including information on every U.S. tornado since 1950, tornado safety, preparedness and education as well as interactive radar, tornado outlooks, watches and warnings, and much more!  Please show your support and follow The Tornado Chronicles on twitter and on facebook for the latest updates on tornadoes and the upcoming website!

Tornado Strikes the Algarve Region of Portugal...

A tornado which apparently began as a waterspout struck the Algarve region of southern Portgual around 1pm local time today.  Reports so far indicate that at least 10 people were injured, 2 of them seriously.  Most of the injured were trapped under overturned vehicles.

A couple of videos have recently emerged on YouTube and show a large water spout moving toward the coastline:

Once it came ashore, quite a bit of damage took place in the municipalities of Lagoa and Silves.  Here's another video, this one from the "don't try this at home" department:

Cars were tossed around like toys, trees were uprooted, and some structural damage took place, especially to windows and roofs:

photo via iOnline

photo via iOnline

photo via iOnline

photo via The Portugal News

photo via iOnline

A roof was reportedly "torn off" of a school in the community of Alvor, but there are no immediate reports of serious injuries at that location.

Algarve Region at the Red "A" Balloon

According to a study performed in 2003, approximately 30 tornadoes were observed in Portugal over the 66 year period from 1936 to 2002.  Researchers point out that due to the relatively concentrated population centers in the region, it is quite likely that others have taken place but were simply not observed and entered into the record.

The strongest tornado on record for Portugal took place on November 6, 1954.   That tornado struck the Castelo Branco region where 4 people were killed and over 200 were injured.

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Historic Flooding In Venice, Italy...

A strong, nearly stationary low pressure system to the West of Italy continues to result in strong Easterly winds over the Adriatic Sea, causing the waters to flood (literally) into Venice.  The above photo of the Piazza San Marco was taken yesterday (via twitter, unknown photographer).  Here is what the historic tourist site normally looks like:

Similar images abound across the region from the last few days:

While flooding due to heavy rain, storm surge and tidal fluctuations is not necessarily usual in this area at this time of the year (the locals call it "acqua alta" or "high water"), water levels do not typically get this high.

Shops and other landmarks are struggling to keep the water "at bay" any way they can...

Some have been met with more success (above) than others (below):

For more information from 'The Original Weather Blog', including shorter, more frequent posts during rapidly changing weather events, please be sure to follow Rob on facebook and twitter:

 

If you are in need of highly customized, site specific weather forecasts and/or storm warnings for your business, school or event, be sure visit my professional webpage at WeatherGuidance.com.