The London Tornado of 1091 is the earliest reported tornado in England, occurring in London on Friday, 17 October 1091.[1][2] It has been estimated by modern assessment as possibly a T8 on the TORRO scale (roughly equivalent to an F4 on the Fujita scale) making it one of the strongest recorded tornadoes in the British Isles, alongside the 1666 Lincolnshire tornado,[3] although this estimate is based on reports written 30 years later.[4]
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 October 1091 |
| F4 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| T8 tornado | |
| on the TORRO scale | |
| Highest winds | >343 km/h (213 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Areas affected | London, United Kingdom |
The church of St Mary-le-Bow in the city of London was badly damaged; four rafters 26 feet (7.9 m) long were driven into the ground so that only 4 feet (1.2 m) protruded above the surface.[4] Other nearby churches were demolished by the tornado, as were over 600 mostly wooden houses. For all the damage, there were just two known fatalities in a population of about 18,000.[4][3][5] The tornado is mentioned in chronicles by Florence of Worcester and William of Malmesbury, the latter describing it as "a great spectacle for those watching from afar, but a terrifying experience for those standing near".[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Rowe, M. W. (1976). "Tornadoes in medieval Britain" (PDF). Journal of Meteorology. 1 (7): 219–222. ISSN 1748-2992.
- ^ "Tornado Country – NOVA – PBS". www.pbs.org.
- ^ a b c Rowe, Michael (November 1999). "'Work of the devil': Tornadoes in the British Isles to 1660" (PDF). Journal of Meteorology. 24 (243): 326–338. ISSN 1748-2992. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "British & European Extremes". The Tornado & Storm Research Organisation (TORRO). Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Schofield, John; Vince, Alan (2003). Medieval Towns: The Archaeology of British Towns in Their European Setting. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-8264-6002-8.