Dear Tom,
How common are tornadoes in other parts of the world?
Lori Zieba, Cary, Ill.
Dear Lori,
While it’s true that nearly 75 percent of all twisters occur in the United States, they can develop throughout the world with the exception of the polar regions. While the majority of the non-U.S. tornadoes are small and weak, the truth of the matter is that many twisters go undetected and undocumented in other countries. Tornado researcher Tom Grazulis reports that at least 40 other countries have experienced significant tornadoes with many occurring annually throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, Russia, Argentina, China and Japan. In fact, the world’s deadliest tornadoes have not occurred here but in Bangladesh, where at least a dozen twisters have killed more people than the U.S.’s deadliest storm: the 1925 Tri-State tornado (695 fatalities).
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
