List of African tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

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These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in Africa.

Contents

Chad

EventDateAreaTornadoesCasualtiesNotes
Ndjamena tornado2 May 2007 Ndjamena, Chad 19 fatalities, 100 injuriesA rare tornado struck Ndjamena, destroying 50 homes and killing nine people. [1]
Bebedjia tornado9 May 2007 Bebedjia, Chad 214 fatalities, >150 injuries; town was destroyedAn extremely rare and violent tornado tore through Bebedjia, reportedly destroying 95% of the town. The tornado struck at 4:00 pm, and was followed by an equally violent storm six hours later. [1]

Democratic Republic of the Congo

EventDateAreaTornadoesCasualtiesNotes
2003 Yumbi tornado2 February 2003 Yumbi, Democratic Republic of the Congo 117 fatalities, 4,000 injuriesAn extremely rare tornado swept through areas near the town of Yumbi. 1,700 families were made homeless by the tornado. [2]

South Africa

EventDateAreaTornadoesCasualtiesNotes
Roodepoort, South Africa26 November 1948 Highveld 14 fatalities, 100 injuries700 homes wrecked, damages estimated at R150 million. This tornado made a track of 64 km and had touched down 15 times. [3] [4]
Zastron, South Africa tornado26 November 1948 Free State 1-[ citation needed ]
Albertynesville, South Africa tornado30 November 1952 South Africa -20 fatalities, 400 injuriesCars were lifted 100 feet into the air by the tornado. [5]
Paynesville, South Africa tornado2 December 1952 South Africa -11 fatalitiesThe tornado "threw cattle high into the air". [5]
Trompsburg, South Africa tornado5 November 1976 Karoo -5 fatalitiesF3 rated tornado which tracked a 175 km long path, mainly through farmland. [6] [7]
Senekal, South Africa tornado15 September 1988 South Africa -2 fatalitiesF3 that tracked a 100 km path over mostly open farmland, killing two children and damaging power lines. [6] [7]
Welkom, South Africa tornado20 March 1990 Free State -destroying 4000 homesF4 Multi-vortex tornado raced through the suburbs of Welkom with a 240 km long severe storm front and a width of up to 1.7 km. Proved to be the most devastating tornado (in monetary terms) in South Africa's history. [4]
Harrismith tornado15 November 1998 Free State 10 fatalities, 14 injuriesF2 according to Weather Service. Several houses and three airplane hangars were damaged or destroyed. [8]
Umtata (Mthatha)tornado15 December 1998 Eastern Cape 118 fatalities, 150 injuriesCategory unknown. Large amounts of damage was caused including damage to the hospital. Nelson Mandela, previous president of South Africa was in a pharmacy when the tornado hit, and was protected by his bodyguards while lying on the floor. The pharmacy was also damaged, but Mandela was not injured.3 days later Mandela declared Umtata in a state of emergency at Bridge Street taxi rank outside the shop that suffered 11 fatalities. [9]
Mount Ayliff, South Africa tornado18 January 1999 South Africa -25 fatalities, 500 injuries120 km long track F4 [10] [4]
Heidelberg, South Africa tornado21 October 1999 South Africa -20 injuries100+ km path narrowly missed Johannesburg [11] [12]
Centurion tornado21 October 1999 Gauteng 1unknown fatality, unknown injuriesF1 according to Weather Service. Damage was caused. [11]
Mpumalanga, South Africa tornado outbreak9 September 2002 Mpumalanga 42 fatalities[ citation needed ]Strong line of storms. [13] Some buildings completely flattened[ citation needed ]
Dullstroom tornado1 August 2006 Mpumalanga 10 fatalities, 11 injuriesSeveral homes damaged, roof a high school completely removed. Estimated to be strong F1, possibly F2. [14]
Vryheid tornado20 October 2006 KwaZulu-Natal 10Rural huts destroyed on a farm 15 km east of the town. Child almost 'taken up' into tornado. Path estimated to be 4 km long. Estimated F1[ citation needed ]
Klerksdorp tornado4 March 2007 North West 11 fatality, 3 injuriesF0 (South African Weather Bureah classified it as a "mini tornado"). 200 houses and other buildings damaged. [15]
Molweni tornado14 November 2008 KwaZulu-Natal 18 fatalities, 200 injuries

Crossed an urban area. Cars rolled some distance and shipping containers hurled through the air over 200m. Mud huts completely scoured away. Brick houses levelled. Path estimated to be 10 km long. Estimated EF3-4. [16]

Bulwer tornado6 November 2009 KwaZulu-Natal 11 fatality[ citation needed ], 66 injuriesF3 according to Weather Service. Cars thrown and cinder brick homes flattened. 178 homes were destroyed. [17]
Ficksburg tornado3 October 2011 Free State 11 fatality, 42 injuriesF2 according to Weather Service. 122 houses and shacks destroyed. [18]
Duduza tornado3 October 2011 Gauteng 11 fatality, 166 injuriesF2 according to Weather Service. 150 houses destroyed [19]
Bronkhorstspruit tornado13 November 2011 Mpumalanga 10 fatalities, 0 injuriesCategory unknown. Minimal damage due touching down in open fields. [20]
Bethlehem tornado23 June 2012 Free State 18 fatalities, 27 injuriesF2. Several houses was destroyed in Bethlehem and Kestell areas [21]
Deneysville tornado23 June 2012 Free State 11 fatality, 5 injuriesCaused widespread damage and destroyed a house in the Vaal Dam area. [22]
Queenstown – Mthaha tornado19 September 2013 Eastern Cape 1-[ citation needed ]
Tembisa26 July 2016 Gauteng 10 fatalities, 3 injuriesDamaged roof of Phumulani Mall and a nearby hospital, causing injuries. [23]
Mpumalanga, Standerton10 December 2016Mpumalanga, Standerton10 fatalitiesSpotted about 12 km outside Standerton on the R23 Volksrust Road [24] [25]
Mpumalanga

Standerton

11 December 2016Mpumalanga, Standerton10 fatalitiesSeen in the Kaalspruit/Bloukop Area [26]
Vaal Marina11 December 2016Gauteng10 fatalities, +-50 injuriesAt least 300 people were displaced and 50 others injured [27]
New Hanover12 November 2019KwaZulu-Natal12 fatalities, +-18 injuriesHundreds of people were displaced. [28] [29]
oThongathi3 June 2024KwaZulu-Natal211 fatalities, > +-120 injuries See article on storm complex — Hundreds of houses were damaged or destroyed. 11 deaths, including 7 in oThongathi, where an EF3 wedge tornado was confirmed. About 1500 were displaced. It later became a rare wedge waterspout. [30] [31]
Pretoria18 February 2025Gauteng1NoneEF0 landspout tornado struck Montana in northern Pretoria. Displaced many after destroying residential complex. [32] [33]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "At Least 14 Killed In Tornado In Southern Chad". www.terradaily.com.
  2. ↑ "Experts revise figures on Yumbi tornado - only 17 dead". The New Humanitarian. 10 February 2003. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "South African mining town is devastated by cyclone". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
  4. 1 2 3 "Top 5 worst tornadoes in South African history". northernnatalnews.co.za. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  5. 1 2 Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 257. ISBN   0806135387.
  6. 1 2 Goliger, A.M. (1 March 1993). "Tornado activity in South Africa". Civil Engineering. 1993 (2): 13–14. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 "The Complete History of Tornadoes in South Africa". afriwx.co.za. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ↑ de Coning, E; Adam, BF (3 July 2000). "The tornadic thunderstorm events during the 1998-1999 South African summer" (PDF). Weather Forecasting Research Programme: 366. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  9. ↑ "Tornadoes of Africa". For Strong Winds. October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  10. ↑ de Coning, E; Adam, BF (16 March 2000). "The tornadic thunderstorm events during the 1998-1999 South African summer" (PDF). www.wrc.org.za. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-26.
  11. 1 2 de Coning, E; Adam B F; Goliger A M; van Wyk T (October 2013). "An F3 tornado in Heidelerg, South Africa". National Weather Association. Weather Forecasting Research Group. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  12. ↑ National Weather Association Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology
  13. ↑ "A twist in the theory of SA's near perfect weather". enca.com. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  14. ↑ "Dullstroom counts cost of 'tornado' damage". iol.co.za. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  15. ↑ "Tornado rips through Klerksdorp Suburbs". IOL News. October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "'Tornado' kills eight, rips RDP homes up". iol.co.za. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  17. ↑ "KZN freak storm destroys 178 homes". iol.co.za. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  18. ↑ "Ficksburg tornado: Red Cross steps in". News24. October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  19. ↑ "Deadly tornadoes wreak havoc in Duduza, Ficksburg". Mail&Guardian. October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  20. ↑ "Severe weather observation: Gauting/Mpumalanga 13 November 2011". SAWDOS. October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  21. ↑ "South Africa Tornado Damages Homes, Kills Eight". AccuWeather.com. October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  22. ↑ "Tornado rips through Deneysville". National Sea Rescue Institute. 23 June 2012.
  23. ↑ "Tornado damages Tembisa Hospital, Phumulani Mall". eNews Channel Africa. 26 July 2016.
  24. ↑ reporter, CNS. "Tornado and funnel cloud appear near Standerton". The Citizen. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  25. ↑ "Videos - Tornado and funnel cloud appear near Standerton | Standerton Advertiser". Standerton Advertiser. 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  26. ↑ "'n Video-opname asook foto's van 'n tornado en die skade wat dit verrig het in die Standerton gebied en omliggende dorpe doen tans die ronde op sosiale media". Standerton Advertiser. 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  27. ↑ reporter, ANA and Citizen. "At least 50 people injured as Tornado hits Vaal Marina". The Citizen. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  28. ↑ reporter, South Africa Uncut. "New Hanover tornado: Two dead, as huge extent of destruction revealed". South Africa Uncut. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  29. ↑ Mia Lindeque, Eyewitness News. "KZN authorities tallying up cost of damage after tornado hits New Hanover". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  30. ↑ "KZN tornado death toll rises to 11 as relief efforts continue". Daily Maverick. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  31. ↑ "oThongathi tornado rated EF3 – are tornadoes common in SA?". Independent Online. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  32. ↑ "Montana weather event confirmed as a landspout". SANews. 28 February 2025.
  33. ↑ Libera, Malcolm (19 February 2025). "Severe storm warning for homeowners as tornado hits major city in South Africa". BusinessTech .
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