Tornado

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that forms beneath a thunderstorm cloud and may appear as a funnel-shaped column. In the Netherlands, tornadoes are rare, but they can still pose a serious local hazard. Their destructive power comes from extremely high wind speeds, intense rotation and flying debris, which can cause severe damage along a narrow track.

Tornadoes develop when thunderstorms occur in warm, moist air and are combined with strong winds higher in the atmosphere. Although the area affected is usually limited, the impact can be severe. In most cases, the zone with the highest wind speeds is less than one kilometre wide, while the damage path may extend for several kilometres. In the Netherlands, the strongest tornadoes are uncommon, but less intense tornados occur from time to time and can still cause substantial local damage.

Tornado intensity is classified using the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF), from EF0 to EF5. This scale is based on the observed damage caused by a tornado and the wind speeds associated with that damage. It is used internationally to describe tornado strength in a consistent way. For more information visit the page on changing wind patterns.

Please note that, due to limited data and resources, and in line with expert guidance, this portal does not include information on risk assessment or data sources for tornadoes. More broadly, it is worth noting that tornado data coverage and spatial and temporal resolution can vary significantly from region to region.