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London tornado of 1091

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London tornado of 1091
Meteorological history
Date17 October 1091
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
T8 tornado
on the TORRO scale
Highest winds>343 km/h (213 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities2
Areas affectedLondon, United Kingdom

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]

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

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References

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  1. ^ Rowe, M. W. (1976). "Tornadoes in medieval Britain" (PDF). Journal of Meteorology. 1 (7): 219–222. ISSN 1748-2992.
  2. ^ "Tornado Country – NOVA – PBS". www.pbs.org.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c "British & European Extremes". The Tornado & Storm Research Organisation (TORRO). Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. ^ 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.