World records
International tornado records
Tornadoes are not exclusively American. Every continent except Antarctica has produced significant tornadoes. Here is a world tour.
The tornado map of the world
- US — 1,200/year. Most of any country by far.
- Canada — 100/year. Second-most in North America.
- Argentina / Uruguay pampas — the world's second most active region after the US Plains.
- Bangladesh / eastern India — highest fatality rate per tornado. Population density + weak structures.
- Central Europe (Germany / Poland / Czech) — surprising activity, 300-400 tornadoes annually across Europe.
- UK — 30-40 tornadoes/year, mostly weak, occasional F2.
- Australia — 30-40/year mostly in the southeast.
- South Africa — 30/year highveld tornadoes.
- China — significant activity in south-central provinces.
- Japan — 25/year, often typhoon-spawned.
- New Zealand — 30/year, mostly weak.
- Iran / Middle East — occasional, sparse records.
- Africa (rest) — likely underreported.
Deadliest tornadoes worldwide
- 1989 Daulatpur–Saturia, Bangladesh — 1,300 dead. The deadliest single tornado in world history.
- 1969 Dhaka, Bangladesh — 923 dead.
- 1996 Madaripur, Bangladesh — 700 dead.
- 1925 Tri-State, USA (MO/IL/IN) — 695 dead. Deadliest US tornado.
- 1973 Manikganj, Bangladesh — 681 dead.
- 1851 Sicily, Italy — 500+ dead. F4 estimated.
- 1932 Guangzhou, China — 350+ dead.
- 2011 Joplin, USA (MO) — 158 dead. Deadliest US tornado since 1947.
Country spotlights
Argentina (Grande Alley)
The pampas produce classic Plains-style supercells. April 4, 1993 F5 in San Justo — deadliest known Argentine tornado.
Bangladesh
The Ganges Delta. April 26, 1989 — Daulatpur–Saturia disaster.
France
August 19, 1845 Montville F5 — thought to be the strongest ever in France.
Germany
May 24, 1979 Torhaus F4. June 2015 F3 in Bützow.
Italy
Sicily 1851 F4. July 2019 Verona F3.
UK
Bidston 1962 F3. Birmingham 2005 F2. London (yes) 2006 F2.
Netherlands
Highest tornadoes per area in Europe.
Russia
Ivanovo 1984 outbreak, up to F4.
Australia
Bulahdelah NSW 1970 F4. Yarraman QLD 2008 F3.
New Zealand
Waitara 2004 F3, killed 2.
Japan
Saroma 2006 F3. Multiple tropical-cyclone-spawned.
South Africa
Utrecht 1990 F3. Frequent highveld events.
Canada
Elie MB 2007 F5. Only F5 in Canadian history.
Mexico
Ciudad Acuña 2015 F3, 14 dead.
Brazil
Xanxerê 2015 F3.
China
Jiangsu 2016 EF4, 98 dead.
South Korea
Uljin 2004 F2 outbreak.
India
Odisha 1998 F3, 300+ dead.
Iran
Bandar Anzali 2008 F2.
Notable European events
- 1795 Vale of Neath, Wales — very early European tornado record.
- 1913 Newton Stewart, Scotland — F2 killed 2.
- 1968 Pforzheim, Germany — F4.
- 2001 Enschede, Netherlands — F2 through center of town.
- 2005 Birmingham, UK — F2 through busy Sparkbrook.
- 2016 Zell im Wiesental, Germany — F2 outbreak.
- 2021 Bečov nad Teplou, Czechia — F4, 5 dead. First F4 in Czech history.
The reporting problem
Global tornado statistics are unreliable in most countries. Reasons:
- Many nations lack a systematic reporting network.
- Damage surveys rarely use EF-scale internationally.
- Weak tornadoes go unreported in developing countries.
- Storm chasing is US-dominated — foreign events lack independent documentation.
- Radar coverage varies dramatically.
- European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL) has partly closed this gap for Europe.
- Bangladesh Meteorological Department has improved reporting.