The 2026 European tornado season is the current season of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks across Europe and surrounding areas[a] in 2026. As of April, there have been 58 confirmed tornadoes across several countries, resulting in one fatality and at least seven injuries.[1]
Despite their similar areas, Europe sees significantly fewer tornadoes than the United States. Geography plays a major role in this discrepancy, with the unique features in North America making areas like Tornado Alley ideal for severe weather, while many of these conditions are generally less optimal in Europe. However, the under-reporting of weaker tornadoes across the continent also contributes to this.[5][2] This under-reporting primarily stems from a lack of pan-European collaboration in monitoring tornadoes, resulting in less public and institutional awareness of them or their danger or the real threat they pose, despite many occurrences of violent, damaging, and deadly tornadoes across the continent.[6][2]
Tornado activity in Europe typically peaks in the summer months and is lowest during the winter months. More specifically, Central and Northern Europe peak in the summer, the western and central Mediterranean regions peak in autumn, and the eastern Mediterranean region peaks in the winter. Tornadoes over land most often occur in the late afternoon and early evening hours. On the other hand, waterspouts, which sometimes move ashore in coastal areas and become tornadoes, peak in late spring and typically occur earlier in the day.[2]
Season summary
Note: Unrated tornadoes are counted as IFU on the graphs
January was very active, with 24 tornadoes reported, including five rated IF2. The first half of the month was relatively inactive, while the final week produced 17 tornadoes overall, including three strong IF2 tornadoes in Turkey, France, and Spain. It also featured the longest-track tornado in Europe so far, which occurred in Mios, France, and had a path length of 23.3 km. In total, four injuries and one fatality were reported. The fatality occurred when three kitesurfers were caught in a probable waterspout off Tayo Beach in Tel Aviv; one 40-year-old man was lofted approximately 150 meters and fatally injured after being thrown into rocks, while another man sustained minor injuries.[1] February was average overall, but starting on 18 February an extremely unusual three-week period with no tornadoes reported occurred due to persistent ridging across southern Europe and record-breaking warm and dry conditions. These conditions continued into March, which ended as a very inactive month with fewer tornadoes reported than in February. An early-season tornado occurred in Romania and was rated IF1.5.
A strong tornado destroyed a poultry farm, killing tens of thousands of chickens. The tornado also significantly damaged two other buildings, both of which had partially collapsed walls. A church, watchtowers and other structures were also damaged.[1][8]
8 January event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, 8 January 2026[b]
This strong tornado struck three villages and caused significant damage. The roofs to approximately six buildings were heavily damaged, multiple barns suffered wall collapses, numerous greenhouses were destroyed, and several trees were snapped or uprooted. A parked Fiat car was tossed 4 metres (4.4yd) and overturned, injuring its occupant.[1][10]
9 January event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, 9 January 2026[b]
1 death – A waterspout killed one and injured another kitesurfer off the coast of Bat Yam. The waterspout made landfall before quickly dissipating, causing no damage.[1][11]
12 January event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, 12 January 2026[b]
A tornado touched down in the village of Riocaud and quickly caused significant structural damage, most notably ripping the roof off a church and damaging nearby buildings as debris was scattered through the area. As it moved along its path, additional homes and structures sustained roof damage, with some buildings partially opened or damaged by flying debris, while multiple trees were uprooted or snapped. The tornado continued through rural areas with damage to vegetation and other structures before lifting.[1][13]This tornado was rated EF1 By KERAUNOS.[14]
A tornado touched down near Lasseube and caused damage to residential structures, including tearing significant portions of roofing from at least two homes. As it continued, it impacted rural properties where a barn collapsed and additional structural damage occurred, while nearby trees were uprooted or damaged before the tornado dissipated.[1][15]This tornado was rated EF1 By KERAUNOS.[16]
26 January event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, 26 January 2026[b]
This tornado heavily impacted rural farmland, where numerous greenhouses were torn apart or collapsed and large sections of crops were destroyed. As it tracked onward, several homes and buildings sustained roof damage, windows were shattered, and power transmission lines were brought down. The tornado continued damaging farm equipment up until it dissipated.[1]
A waterspout formed offshore near Saklısu before making landfall and impacting a multi-story residential building, shattering balcony railing windows. It traveled inland where it caused significant damage to agricultural areas by destroying multiple greenhouses. As it continued along its path, the tornado broke energy transmission lines, leading to power outages across the area, before it ultimately dissipated.[1]
A tornado developed and moved through agricultural areas, where it caused significant damage to multiple greenhouses, tearing apart structures and destroying crops grown inside. As it continued along its path, energy transmission lines were damaged. Additional structural damage occurred as parts of a building’s roof were torn off. The tornado continued over farmland before lifting.[1]
This strong tornado began in Aksu and moved through coastal areas, where it caused severe damage by tearing boats from their moorings, overturning and smashing many of them along the shoreline and riverbanks. As it continued inland, the tornado damaged or destroyed piers and nearby structures while also blowing down trees, traffic signs, and streetlights, leaving debris scattered across the area. Agricultural zones were heavily impacted as well, with numerous greenhouses torn apart and crops destroyed, while additional structural damage included roofs being ripped off buildings and windows shattered. The tornado continued to move further inland where it eventually dissipated over fields. One person was injured.[1][17]
A tornado moved through Denizyaka and Büklüce, where it caused concentrated damage by uprooting and snapping numerous trees and severely impacting structures. A mosque minaret collapsed and fell onto a nearby structure while surrounding buildings also sustained notable damage. The tornado continued through the semi-rural area leaving widespread tree damage and structural impacts before dissipating.[1]
27 January event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, 27 January 2026[b]
This strong tornado struck the northern and eastern parts of Plasencia, where it caused widespread structural and vegetation damage, particularly near the Virgen del Puerto Hospital. In this area, the roof of a parking structure was torn off and debris was hurled into nearby vehicles, damaging approximately fifty cars, some of which were overturned, while large trees were uprooted and scattered across roads and parking areas. As it continued through nearby neighborhoods, additional damage included roofs and solar panel installations being torn from buildings, façades partially collapsing, and metal structures and walls being blown down, with debris impacting surrounding structures. Industrial buildings also sustained roof damage, and urban infrastructure such as street fixtures and surfaces was disrupted, with fallen trees blocking roadways. The tornado dissipated to the northeast of the city.[1][21][22][23]
31 January event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, 31 January 2026[b]
A strong tornado first produced minor vegetation damage, where broken branches and topped pines were observed, before more organized damage began northwest of Mios with snapped limbs and tree damage as the tornado reached nearby residential areas. Moving east-southeast impacted multiple neighborhoods where around three hundred homes sustained damage, including torn sections of roofs, destroyed small structures, overturned walls, broken windows, and widespread debris such as trampolines, sheet metal, and branches embedded into buildings. The most significant damage occurred southeast of Mios, where small buildings were heavily damaged or torn open, large pine trees were snapped near ground level, and forested areas showed significant treefall and localized swaths of severe destruction. The tornado continued with toward the A63, where trees were downed across the roadway before moving into more rural areas where additional properties and forest plots were damaged with trees uprooted, shredded, or snapped. As it progressed farther, the damage became more sporadic and weakened, though occasional pockets of tree damage persisted The tornado finally dissipated west of Saint-Magne after producing intermittent tree damage across forested areas.[1][24] This tornado was rated EF1 By KERAUNOS.[25]
A tornado impacted several rural neighborhoods in the Köşk district, initially causing widespread roof damage as strong winds tore sections of roofing from many homes and broke branches from olive trees across agricultural areas. As it moved through more elevated areas, the damage intensified, with numerous houses having roofs completely blown away, some walls collapsing, and metal roofing structures lifted and thrown into nearby fields, while balcony railings were bent and twisted by the force of the winds. A mosque minaret was also damaged, and additional structural impacts were observed across homes and buildings, with debris scattered throughout the affected areas as the tornado lifted.[1][26][27]
A waterspout made landfall on Corfu, tearing off at least three roofs and destroying a municipal kiosk. An olive grove along with its vegetation was destroyed.[1][28][29]
6 February event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, 6 February 2026[b]
A tornado first produced minor damage in wooded areas with broken branches before more defined damage began west of Colleret, where branches were snapped and sheet metal was torn from a stable. Moving east-southeast through urban areas, it caused minor damage including broken branches, snapped conifers, torn roofing sheets, and displaced outdoor furniture before intensifying where it uprooted numerous trees of various sizes and damaged farm buildings while also removing portions of roofing from a house. After crossing a national roadway, the tornado moved into a valley, where a broad swath of hillside and riverside forest was heavily damaged with trees uprooted in multiple directions. Entering Cousolre, it impacted approximately one hundred homes, stripping roofing from dozens of buildings, breaking windows and doors through strong suction effects, toppling a pole, and scattering debris tens of meters. As it continued northeast and crossed into Belgium, the tornado weakened, producing weak damage consisting of broken branches, uprooted small trees, torn sheet metal, and displaced garden structures, before the damage became increasingly sporadic and the tornado dissipated shortly thereafter.[1] This tornado was rated EF1 by KERAUNOS.[33]
17 February event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, 17 February 2026[b]
This tornado produced a distinct, cyclonic damage path marked by significant impacts to both structures and vegetation, including roofs that were damaged or partially torn away and areas of forest that were flattened or heavily debranched. Numerous individual trees were stripped of limbs, and debris was lofted, including a wooden board that became impaled into a wall. Vehicles were damaged after being struck by flying debris, and solar panel fields sustained notable damage as panels were impacted or displaced. The damage remained concentrated along a narrow path before the tornado dissipated.[1][34]
A tornado struck parts of Porto Santo Island, causing damage to public areas and infrastructure, including breaking large windows and overturning furniture at a hotel while also damaging windows in multiple rooms. As it moved through the area, it impacted a nearby tennis complex, causing damage to courts and uprooting several trees across the island. Additional damage occurred to buildings in the vicinity, including roof damage to nearby schools before lifting.[1][38]
A damaging tornado struck the village of Uzuncuk, causing significant structural damage. Numerous houses had their roofs torn off, trees were uprooted, and debris was scattered across the area. Two people were injured by flying debris and transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.[1][40]
8 April event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, 8 April 2026[b]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
