Which areas of France are most prone to tornadoes?
Official observatory tracks violent storms
Reader Question: Does France actually record tornadoes? I am from the US ‘tornado valley’ and cannot imagine seeing the same type of tornadoes here in France.
Europe, including France, does see tornadoes form. However, they are typically less powerful than those in the US.
France sees around 40 to 50 tornadoes annually, although usually only around 20 are registered by storm authorities - it excludes those with a lack of witnessed damage.
Tornadoes form for a variety of complex reasons including wind shear, updrafts and mesocyclone formation. A clash of warm and cooler air masses which France often experiences is not enough in itself to generate a tornado.
These tornadoes usually only appear for a short time, around a few minutes, but can still cause serious havoc in that time.
The Observatoire Français des Tornades et des Orages Violents (also called Keraunos, France’s storm observatory) tracks severe storms and tornadoes in the country, and ranks tornadoes on a six-point scale.
It says that the number of tornadoes in the lower rankings – EF0, EF1 and EF2 – are so numerous they are not individually listed as they are not significant enough.
Historical appearances of the most-powerful tornadoes – EF3, winds of 220km/h - 270km/h, EF4, 270km/h - 320km/h, and EF5, 320km/h and over – are listed here.
There have only been two EF5 tornadoes recorded in France, in 1845 and 1967.
Certain areas are more at risk of tornadoes than others, due to their topography and wind patterns.
The map below shows areas in France most susceptible to tornadoes.
Among these are Normandy, Brittany, parts of western France, and the Loire Valley.
“These regions combine very flat terrain, year-round thunderstorm activity, and significant exposure to unsettled weather patterns, factors that more frequently bring together the ingredients necessary for tornado formation,” said Keraunos.
Other hotspots include the Mediterranean, particularly in Aude/Hérault and the south-east.
Conversely, central France between the Massif Central and Alps is at a much lower risk.
Saint-Etienne recently saw a powerful tornado during a supercellular storm. It is based in a ‘national average’ area for tornado action.
