Reply to: Tornado in Brum

[wxman]

The South Wales Evening Post is unfortunately “out to lunch” with that statement! The Brum tornado actually formed just North of the M42 ….

However the “triple point” (weather talk for a pinch point or convergence of air masses) did indeed track from the South Wales area across the midlands. Mind you the upper air jet stream winds (which were required for tornado gneisses) could be considered to have travelled across Alaska – so perhaps the Anchor Daily Echo would like to pipe up and run a piece as well !?!

I am currently involved in a C4 production about the three tornados that occurred that day – as well as other in the past – hopefully it will be in air Early October if not sooner!

FYI I once bounced Cheri Blare of the top slot on Richard and Judy during Hurricane Ivan in Sep 2004 – mind you that is not real claim to fame but I enjoyed it at the time!

Back to my contract for now ….

[hyperD]

PS Thunderstorms possible again this Friday in the South UK....

Great! Just when I'm flying to Europe for the weekend...

[wxman]

On a serious note - there is only one way around the hail core issue and it to avoid it!

Sure I have seen conversions that that involve sheilds over the windscreen - but I have also seen a foot deep of golf ball sized hail covering the road- which is imposible to drive through!

PS Thunderstorms possible again this Friday in the South UK....

[datestamp]

Thanks wxman, I had a look at your photos. The hailstones look pretty deadly. (I did read the Nat Geo report on 7 inch stones, but I guess they are rare). I guess that carbon fibre webbing stretched over a metal frame suspending above the vehicle is the only way to go

[wxman]

Reports are coming in this morning that stocks of scratch cards are now dangerously low and this has lead to panic buying.

One survivor of the tornado said “ I remember the great power cut back in 2001 when the lottery terminals would not work – this is much worse – we are dying here….” Another said “The government should declare this a disaster zone and provide us with free scratch cards” It is our basic human right.

Copies of the Birmingham Post, which is currently carrying a bingo scratch card game are reported to be changing hands on the black market for £10 were discounted when a Post spokesman said “There was a tie breaker question – and this seems to have put a large number of people off”

[G8_Summit]

Charitable Donations for Birmingham - PLEASE HELP

As you are probably aware, last week, a serious tornado hit parts of
southern Birmingham,



News of the disaster was swiftly carried to the civilised world by
pay-as-you go SMS messages. Victims were seen wandering around aimlessly
muttering 'blooooodyell' and 'yourite?'. The tornado decimated the area
causing several pounds worth of damage. Several priceless collections of
mementos from the Balearics and Spanish Costa's were damaged beyond repair.
Several historic Ford Sierras and Nissan Bluebirds were blown off there brick
plinths. A large number of 3 series BMW's had there alloy wheels damaged and
a quantity of Renault Clio's had there tinted windows blown out. Many locals
were woken well before their giro arrived.

One resident, Sharon Knowles, a 15yr old single mother of seven said: "It
was such a shock, my little Beyonce came running into my bedroom
crying. My youngest two, Azif and Delbert slept through it all. I was still
shaking when I was watching Trisha the next morning".

Another resident, Community worker Royston Akimose, 38, said: "I was 'avin'
a meetin' wiv a business associate, the sky went dark, an, de next fing I
know, me ganj is blown all over 'is Impreza!"

Apparently though, looting and car crime did carry on as normal. The British
Red Cross has so far managed to ship 4,000 crates of sunny delight to the
area to help the stricken locals. Rescue workers are still searching through
the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings, which
include benefit books, jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and bone china
from Pound Stretcher.

How Can You Help?

This appeal is to raise money for food and clothing parcels for those
unfortunate enough to be caught up in the disaster. Clothing is most sought
after, items needed include: Fila or Burberry baseball caps; Kappa tracksuit
tops (his & hers); Von Dutch t-Shirts; White sports socks; Rockport boots; Any large gold plated accessories.

Food parcels may be harder to come by, but are needed all the same. Required foodstuffs include microwave meals, tins of baked beans, ice cream, and bottles of Smirnoff Ice. 22p buys a biro for filling in the compensation
forms, £2.00 buys fish, chips & blue fizzy drinks for a family of 9, and
£5.00 will pay for a packet of B&H and a lighter to calm the nerves of those
affected. Please do not send tents for shelter, as the sight of posh housing
is unfair on the population in neighbouring areas.

Please help – do all you can to help these poor people in this time of need.

[wxman]

I have to my cost! been beaten up by baseball sized hail on more than one occasion and each time it has resulting in a new windscreen. I will concour about the noise – it is very loud and it is difficult to talk.

These days I don’t risk the car at all and prefer to say out of the hail core – even if this means missing a tornado. For example May 12th near to Plainview Texas I could not get near to 5the tornado as the hail core was blocking my way so I gave up. The few souls who did venture into the core regretted it big time as they lost every window in the car along with every panel being dented.

Still they did get to see the tornado that day…

I was also under a Supercell Thunderstorm in Aura, Nebraska that produced the USA’s largest hail stone at some 7” across!
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...hailstone.html

Here are some smaller stones that I photoseted down in Texas back in 2002.

http://www.bylink.com/chase/usa2002/...%20(Large).JPG

[datestamp]

Hey wxman, there was a lady on a travel program on UK tv recently who'd gone to the States to do some storm chasing (in Kansas?). The tour guide said "if we go into a storm and the hailstones are as big as baseballs, you won't be able to hear me even if I am right next to you". Now bearing in mind they were driving an SUV with a few electronic gizzmos fitted, this sounded rather odd.

I would have thought that such large hailstones would trash the windscreen, beat people inside to death and turn the roof into a luna landscape. Surely, if you were seriously expecting to enter into such a violent scenario, it would make a lot of sense to fit roofbars with a protective wirescreen above to try and slice the giant hailstones before they hit the vehicle. In the UK, if you intentionally drove a vehicle into a tornado the insurance company would laugh at you and say "what insurance?". Please tell me that this gent was joking !


Cue music - The Doors - Riders on the Storm

[wxman]

I have been very busy this last week investigating the tornadoes of 28th July. This has involved "doing the ground work" and actually walking the damage tracks in order to determine track length, width and intensely.

So far there was three confirmed tornados – 2 of which could be considered Violent for the UK

Birmingham – 14:30pm F0/T1 then F2/T5 – 8.2 miles
This cell first span up an brief tornado that lasted just over 1.5miles and did not hit really hit anything in order for it to be rated
http://www.torro.org.uk/stu/20050728.../tornado1b.jpg

It then went on to “apparently Wedge” over the SW part of the city where the damage is F2/T5 with a 400 meter track width. One of the many badly damaged buildings was a school that lost its roof and most of the first floor. Fortunately due to it being summer vacation it was empty – otherwise I dread to think what might have happened.
(Credit to John Mason, TORRO and to Ian Dunsford for the images)
http://www.torro.org.uk/stu/20050728/brum1.jpg
http://www.torro.org.uk/stu/20050728/brum2.jpg

Wymondham, Leicestershire – 16:19pm F1/T2 1.75 miles
I have interviewed a witness (train signal operator) who saw the tornado form less than 150 meters form his station (confirmed by damage survey). The tornado then passed to his west and then north before crossing the railway line – felled trees across the line cause then closed the line. T2 rating given due to the size of the trees that it snapped. There is some evidence to suggest that this was a anti cyclonic tornado!

Peterborough 16:45 F2/T3
The tornado formed within the North suburbs of the town before moving across open countryside. (this area is very flat and it reminds me of the plains!) it caused much building damage within the city limits but really intensified over open countryside. This was (IMO) a clear Supercell (image shows tornado north of city just prior to dissipating) sorry I spoilt the image by drawing lines all over it!
http://www.torro.org.uk/stu/20050728/Petetorn/scell.JPG

[GiGo]

Thanks, wxman, I'll be there! Heh heh.

[wxman]

I forgot to post the link to the stormchase tour site in my post above..

here it is anyway

http://www.silverliningtours.com/

[threaded]

What is it with workmen nowadays, right wusses.

Fancy worring about pulling a tarpaulin over a tall house when it is windy...erm

[wxman]

BTW it always pays to keep alert while you are about in the UK!

On Saturday I saw a weak funnel cloud just north of Peterborough - it was never going to do any damage ...

http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/foru...22884&posts=21

[wxman]

Sorry to hear about your sister roof - was this Brum or Peterborough ??

If you want to go chasing in the USA I do suggest going with a tour - These are by far the best in the business. Perhaps a 6 day tour out of Denver would be best for you ?

[threaded]

I wonder what it is that causes people to go out of their way to put themselves in harms way.