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I did not know that

Huh. We had a tornado warning yesterday, and I didn’t feel a thing.

Tornadoes in the UK are surprisingly common and no one knows why, according to this article titled Tornadoes in the UK are surprisingly common and no one knows why. In fact, they’re more common than the US, but very weak.

According to this article, the UK has more tornadoes per square mile than any country in the world. Okay, it’s Reddit, but still. Winds here are insane, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

I think we probably have a definitions problem here. Tornadoes don’t show up on satellite, so they don’t count if they aren’t caught by a weather station or human observer. We are very densely populated, so many observers make for more reports. But do you count every swirly and dust devil, or only the big ones?

We get 30 or so a year that are indisputable and strong enough to do property damage. Not yesterday. There were several intense bursts of thunderstorm overnight into morning (including right at the time I usually leave on my bike), but no twisters.

I do hope my Florida peeps are snuggled into a Georgia Motel 6 tonight.

Comments


Comment from QuasiModo
Time: October 8, 2024, 8:48 pm

Good luck to the Florida people, prayers for the people already affected by Helene.


Comment from steve
Time: October 9, 2024, 12:58 am

We are definitely in the zone of concern.

My wife and I are a bit North of Tampa Bay.

Steve’s Kid is South of it and, according to the current prognostications, square in the cross hairs.

We are all, fortunately, on high enough ground that that whole “storm surge” problem shouldn’t impact us.

But, still, other than speeding cars and airplanes, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced 120mph winds.

Don’t quite know what we are in for.


Comment from thefritz
Time: October 9, 2024, 2:18 am

We’ve lived in Florida since ’88. Been through 8 hurricanes with the eye of two of them passing right over head (which is quite a surreal experience…) Thanking the Lord I don’t live in South Tampa now as my old house was just 11 feet above sea level and the storm surge projections are for 11′-15′. We’re just south of West Palm Beach now and at the southern edge of the cone. Current predictions are 40-50mph winds. Normally we’d be on the wet side looking at 10+ inches of rain but this is not a normal storm. Prayers to all in harms way but judging by the news, central Florida is performing a massive evacuation from the storm’s path. Some of our family from Orlando arrived this evening. Just hope they have a home to return to on Friday.


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: October 9, 2024, 5:47 pm

Prayers for all, including those potentially impacted by the tornados exhibiting typical British reserve….

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