Crazy Storm Weather and Lightning - Global
- Thread starter mabar
- Start date
The weather continues to surprise people and it seems every day will seem strange to us. November's surprises are beginning to manifest themselves.
● Paraguay
Another tornado reportedly affected Villarrica
Villarrica's neighbors were surprised and frightened at the same time, when they saw that part of the clouds were lowered to the ground, at the moment that a strong storm was being experienced in the area. A low resolution video was captured by a person who was meters away from the descending cell that fell over the Estación neighborhood of this departmental capital.
It is precisely in this neighborhood, where neighbors reported strong winds, strong movement of trees and some roofs with minor damage, caused by a strong wind that fell suddenly, coincidentally at the time that this mini tornado was captured and uploaded to the Internet.
Although there were no victims or material damage, as happened last weekend in the department of Cordillera, this event caused fear to the people of Villarrica, who were still surprised by the event occurred in Mbocajaty del Yhaguy and now, nature surprises them with something similar but with less force.
Authorities confirmed that there were no major damages in the neighborhood where the presence of this natural phenomenon was reported.
www.latribuna.com.py
● Spain
● France
The Channel Islands are located west of the French Cotentin peninsula in Normandy.
● Saudi Arabia
● Paraguay
Another tornado reportedly affected Villarrica
Another tornado would have occurred in the city of Villarrica, capital of the department of Guairá, last night while forming the same storm front that since 18:00 yesterday, had been affecting part of our capital. At approximately 20:00 a possible tornado, could have been spotted by citizens of the "Ciudad andariega" while it was forming.
Villarrica's neighbors were surprised and frightened at the same time, when they saw that part of the clouds were lowered to the ground, at the moment that a strong storm was being experienced in the area. A low resolution video was captured by a person who was meters away from the descending cell that fell over the Estación neighborhood of this departmental capital.
It is precisely in this neighborhood, where neighbors reported strong winds, strong movement of trees and some roofs with minor damage, caused by a strong wind that fell suddenly, coincidentally at the time that this mini tornado was captured and uploaded to the Internet.
Although there were no victims or material damage, as happened last weekend in the department of Cordillera, this event caused fear to the people of Villarrica, who were still surprised by the event occurred in Mbocajaty del Yhaguy and now, nature surprises them with something similar but with less force.
Authorities confirmed that there were no major damages in the neighborhood where the presence of this natural phenomenon was reported.
Otro tornado habría afectado a Villarrica - La Tribuna
Otro tornado habría ocurrido en la ciudad de Villarrica, capital del departamento de Guairá, anoche mientras se formaba el mismo frente de tormenta que desde las 18:00 de ayer, venía afectando a parte de nuestra capital. Aproximadamente a las 20:00 un tornado posible tornado, pudo haber sido...
www.latribuna.com.py
#ParaguayA nighttime tornado touched down last night in Villarrica, in the Estación neighborhood, Guairá department.
● Spain
#SpainThe strong wind begins to blow in the interior of the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula due to the arrival of the storm Ciarán. Wind gusts already touching 100 km/h. Images from #Cehegín (#Murcia).
● France
The Channel Islands are located west of the French Cotentin peninsula in Normandy.
A tornado touched down last night and caused damage in Jersey, Channel Islands in the midst of storm Ciarán.#StormCiaran@WxNB_
● Saudi Arabia
Dammam, Saudi Arabia(Nov 2, 2023) Hail.
Records of the past that are currently being shattered by #StormCiarán
Comparisons between #tempêtes are anything but easy, even if everyone tries to make connections. The most common connection for #tempête Ciaran is the storm “Huragan de 87” of October 16, 1987 in a fairly similar geographical area. The damage is still less significant than in 87, at the time a value of 216 km/h was noted at Pointe du Raz (instead of 207 km/h today). Regarding the measurement methods, certain reservations must be made because previous cup anemometers had less tendency to be sensitive to gusts compared to sonic anemometers which can overestimate certain values. These measurement differences make comparisons even more difficult. To finish the game of comparisons, comparisons with Lothar and Martin are frankly unnecessary because these historic storms affected much larger areas inland.
The storm #Ciaran gave rise to very strong winds in the departments on red and orange alert #ventviolent . The storm is still ongoing and is gradually shifting northward. #vigilancerouge #vigilanceorange Stay very careful https://vigilance.meteofrance.fr
Storm Ciarán turns deadly in northern Europe, as 100-mph winds knock out power for millions
Published Nov 2, 2023 8:34 AM PDT | Updated Nov 2, 2023 8:37 AM PDT By Bill Deger, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
The storm, which has shattered numerous wind and pressure records, is the first of two powerful systems expected to impact the continent into this weekend.
Snip
Numerous trees were knocked down, cutting power to 1.2 million people in France, according to CNN. The strong winds led to wide-ranging impacts to daily life, including interruptions to train service and the shuttering of hundreds of schools.
Officials confirmed the death of a truck driver in Aisne, France, when a tree fell on the cabin of the truck, CNN reported. Another death was reported by Sky News in The Netherlands.
In Roubaix, France, 15 people were reportedly injured by the strong winds, one seriously; that number also included seven firefighters.
There was an unofficial report of a wind gust of 129 mph (207 km/h) at Finistère on the far northwestern coast of France. Officially, a reading of 114 mph (183 km/h) occurred nearby on the island of Ushant.
According to French news service La Chaîne Info (LCI), the strong winds in northwestern France broke a few local wind records. At Lanvéoc, a gust of 106 mph (171 km/h) was reported, breaking the previous record of 101 mph (162 km/h) from 1987. A record was also set at Brest, where a 97-mph (156 km/h) wind gust was clocked and a crane was knocked over.
"All stations exceeded 130 km/h (81 mph), more than 80% exceeded 150 km/h (93 mph)," an official at the Keraunos Observatory in Finistère told LCI.
www.reuters.com
Comparisons between #tempêtes are anything but easy, even if everyone tries to make connections. The most common connection for #tempête Ciaran is the storm “Huragan de 87” of October 16, 1987 in a fairly similar geographical area. The damage is still less significant than in 87, at the time a value of 216 km/h was noted at Pointe du Raz (instead of 207 km/h today). Regarding the measurement methods, certain reservations must be made because previous cup anemometers had less tendency to be sensitive to gusts compared to sonic anemometers which can overestimate certain values. These measurement differences make comparisons even more difficult. To finish the game of comparisons, comparisons with Lothar and Martin are frankly unnecessary because these historic storms affected much larger areas inland.
The storm #Ciaran gave rise to very strong winds in the departments on red and orange alert #ventviolent . The storm is still ongoing and is gradually shifting northward. #vigilancerouge #vigilanceorange Stay very careful https://vigilance.meteofrance.fr
Storm Ciarán turns deadly in northern Europe, as 100-mph winds knock out power for millions
Published Nov 2, 2023 8:34 AM PDT | Updated Nov 2, 2023 8:37 AM PDT By Bill Deger, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
The storm, which has shattered numerous wind and pressure records, is the first of two powerful systems expected to impact the continent into this weekend.
Snip
Numerous trees were knocked down, cutting power to 1.2 million people in France, according to CNN. The strong winds led to wide-ranging impacts to daily life, including interruptions to train service and the shuttering of hundreds of schools.
Officials confirmed the death of a truck driver in Aisne, France, when a tree fell on the cabin of the truck, CNN reported. Another death was reported by Sky News in The Netherlands.
In Roubaix, France, 15 people were reportedly injured by the strong winds, one seriously; that number also included seven firefighters.
There was an unofficial report of a wind gust of 129 mph (207 km/h) at Finistère on the far northwestern coast of France. Officially, a reading of 114 mph (183 km/h) occurred nearby on the island of Ushant.
According to French news service La Chaîne Info (LCI), the strong winds in northwestern France broke a few local wind records. At Lanvéoc, a gust of 106 mph (171 km/h) was reported, breaking the previous record of 101 mph (162 km/h) from 1987. A record was also set at Brest, where a 97-mph (156 km/h) wind gust was clocked and a crane was knocked over.
"All stations exceeded 130 km/h (81 mph), more than 80% exceeded 150 km/h (93 mph)," an official at the Keraunos Observatory in Finistère told LCI.
Storm Ciaran kills 2, lashes Europe with strong winds and rain
Storm Ciaran smashed into northwestern Europe on Thursday with strong winds and driving rain, killing one person in France and one in Spain as schools, airports and trains halted service.
- Summary
- Companies
- Truck driver killed by falling tree in France
- Woman dies in Spain when tree falls on her
- Roof ripped off house in Jersey
- Hundreds of flights cancelled to and from Amsterdam
- Red warning issued in northern Spain
Not a storm, but it's been raining here until a few minutes ago. A friend told me they had hail in another part of the city. It never rains around here, and certainly not at this time of the year when I usually go to the swimming pool. Morning temperature 4°C.
I think we have been reporting more extreme weather events in the last few weeks than any other time.
Storm Ciaran in Cornwell England
● Saudi Arabia
● Kenya
Storm #Ciaran has brought hurricane force winds, heavy rain and dangerous surf to several parts of Europe.
As if that wasn't enough already if monitoring a new storm named #Sunday.
@ECMWF graphic via @AEMET_Esp
Via @WMO
Storm Ciaran in Cornwell England
● Saudi Arabia
● Kenya
Here's the path of storm Ciaran over the last 24 hrs (9pm, 01/11 - 9pm, 02/11) at 8hr intervals. Notice how Ciaran has moved through the channel between France and England, maintaining itself over the water, which is more electrically conductive. If it had made landfall, it would have been dissipating much faster.
The green indicates wind speeds around 50-80kph, the red is into the 100s kph.
The green indicates wind speeds around 50-80kph, the red is into the 100s kph.
[Weather info]
TOWARDS A NEW RISK OF GALE FORWARDS FOR THIS WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 4/5, 2023: FOCUS AND UNCERTAINTIES (read carefully until the end)!
After the passage of #tempête #Ciaran over the North-West of France, this Thursday, November 2, 2023, another depression deepens very quickly off the coast of Newfoundland (Canada), this evening.
It will continue to develop in the heart of the North Atlantic basin, this Friday, November 3, 2023, progressing towards the East.This new storm will head towards Western Europe.
This depression will circulate over the South of the British Isles between Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 November.It will cause sometimes strong/sustained gusts of wind in its southern part, between the Bay of Biscay and the North-East of France.
Unlike the Ciaran depression, this storm would mature off the coast and not near France. The intensity would therefore be less than storm Ciaran. All this will require confirmation by Friday evening.
To date (this Thursday evening), we would therefore mainly be talking about gale/strong gale on our
@RCValdeLoire with gusts of between 70 and 100 km/h.
This windy episode will be quite long-lasting and will last from the morning of Saturday to the night of Saturday to Sunday with two probable peaks in intensity (Saturday morning and during the night of Saturday to Sunday). The terms will remain to be clarified over the next few hours! Given the uncertainties still present to this day, there is no point in going into details.
This wind will be accompanied by several bursts of rain (rainy fronts and showers).
Our forecasters are seriously analyzing the expected weather trend this weekend with another very turbulent weather forecast!
As a reminder, this weather situation is very classic in autumn but still requires some vigilance!
Stay informed: https://meteo-centre.fr/bulletin-de-risques-meteorologiques/
Map: Average pressures near the sea in hPa and anomalies forecast for Saturday November 4, 2023 by the ECMWF model (copyright: https://wxcharts.com , map captioned by @FloC36 / l' @AssoMeteoCentre for explanations).
Wooden planks were literally planted in the wall of a residence in Relecq-Kerhuon under the effect of the extremely violent gusts of wind from #TempeteCiaran in Finistère last night. #Ciaran #StormCiaran #Tempete
“Take photos of everything that was damaged, collect the invoices and list all of your belongings.” The procedure to follow with insurers to declare a claim, after the passage of storm Ciarán
This video shows the wall of this house being literally torn off/sucked away then carried away by extremely violent gusts of wind during #TempeteCiaran last night, in Lampaul-Plouarzel in #Finistère and #Bretagne . #Ciaran #StormCiaran
I was present at Cape Machichakot near Bilbao to interpret the trailing sky where I was able to note gusts of +150km/h today. These virulent squall lines then progress towards the Aquitaine coasts. @ExtremeMeteo @KeraunosObs @MeteoExpress @meteo60
● Italy
Emergency crews across Italy were on high alert, as heavy rain caused widespread flooding across Tuscany on November 2.
Footage from Italy’s national fire service, the Vigili del Fuoco, shows fast-moving floodwaters gushing into the streets of Pisa.
Emergency crews said dozens of rescues had been carried out across Florence, Pistoia, Pisa, and Prato and involved rescuing people “stuck in cars, in underpasses.”
The President of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, declared a state of emergency and said the situation was very serious.
uk.news.yahoo.com
Emergency Crews Rescue Dozens of People as Heavy Rain Causes Flooding Across Tuscany
Emergency crews across Italy were on high alert, as heavy rain caused widespread flooding across Tuscany on November 2.
Footage from Italy’s national fire service, the Vigili del Fuoco, shows fast-moving floodwaters gushing into the streets of Pisa.
Emergency crews said dozens of rescues had been carried out across Florence, Pistoia, Pisa, and Prato and involved rescuing people “stuck in cars, in underpasses.”
The President of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, declared a state of emergency and said the situation was very serious.
Emergency Crews Rescue Dozens of People as Heavy Rain Causes Flooding Across Tuscany
Emergency crews across Italy were on high alert, as heavy rain caused widespread flooding across Tuscany on November 2.Footage from Italy’s national fire service, the Vigili del Fuoco, shows fast-moving floodwaters gushing into the streets of Pisa.Emergency crews said dozens of rescues had been...
Storm Ciarán brings record rainfall to Italy, taking European death toll to 10
Record-breaking rain produced floods in a vast swath of Tuscany as Storm Ciarán pushed into Italy overnight Friday, trapping residents in their homes, inundating hospitals and overturning cars. At least three people were killed, bringing the storm’s death toll in western Europe to 10.Ciarán left at least seven people dead as it swept across Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany on Thursday. The storm devastated homes, caused travel mayhem and cut power to a vast number of people.
Storm Ciarán kills 5 people as it brings record rainfall to Italy, taking European death toll to 12
Record-breaking rain provoked floods in a vast swath of Tuscany as storm Ciarán pushed into Italy overnight.
apnews.com
European windstoms, historic windstorms, summary of 2023-2024 windstorm season (so far), low pressure records, cyclogenesis and explosive cyclogenesis
Strong storms that hit Europe are called European Windstorms
2023–24 European windstorm season has this summary so far:
954 hPa is deep, but they can go much deeper, see: List of atmospheric pressure records in Europe
Cyclogenesis
Explosive cyclogenesis
Strong storms that hit Europe are called European Windstorms
Some storms from the pages of history, older and newer:
Historic windstorms
- Grote Mandrenke, 1362 – A southwesterly Atlantic gale swept across England, the Netherlands, northern Germany and southern Denmark, killing over 25,000 and changing the Dutch-German-Danish coastline.
- Burchardi flood, 1634 – Also known as "second Grote Mandrenke", hit Nordfriesland, drowned about 8,000–15,000 people and destroyed the island of Strand.
- Great Storm of 1703 – Severe gales affect south coast of England.
- Night of the Big Wind, 1839 – The most severe windstorm to hit Ireland in recent centuries, with hurricane-force winds, killed between 250 and 300 people and rendered hundreds of thousands of homes uninhabitable.
- Royal Charter Storm, 25–26 October 1859 – The Royal Charter Storm was considered to be the most severe storm to hit the British Isles in the 19th century, with a total death toll estimated at over 800. It takes its name from the ship Royal Charter, which was driven by the storm onto the east coast of Anglesey, Wales, with the loss of over 450 lives. [...]
Severe storms since 1950
- North Sea flood of 1953 – Considered to be the worst natural disaster of the 20th century both in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, claiming over 2,500 lives, including 133 lost when the car ferry MV Princess Victoria sank in the North Channel east of Belfast.
- Great Sheffield Gale and the North Sea flood of 1962 – Powerful windstorm crossed the United Kingdom, killing nine people and devastating the city of Sheffield with powerful winds.[56] The storm then reached the German coast of the North Sea with wind speeds up to 200 km/h. The accompanying storm surge combined with the high tide pushed water up the Weser and Elbe, breaching dikes and caused extensive flooding, especially in Hamburg. 315 people were killed, around 60,000 were left homeless.
- Gale of January 1976 2–5 January 1976 – Widespread wind damage was reported across Europe from Ireland to Central Europe. Coastal flooding occurred in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany with the highest storm surge of the 20th century recorded on the German North Sea coast.
- Great Storm of 1987 – This storm affected southeastern England and northern France. In England maximum mean wind speeds of 70 knots (an average over 10 minutes) were recorded. The highest gust of 117 knots (217 km/h) was recorded at Pointe du Raz in Brittany. In all, 19 people were killed in England and 4 in France. 15 million trees were uprooted in England.
- 1990 storm series – Between 25 January and 1 March 1990, eight severe storms crossed Europe including the Burns' Day storm (Daria), Vivian & Wiebke. The total costs resulting from these storms was estimated at almost €13 billion.[57]
- Braer Storm of January 1993 – the most intense storm of this kind on record.
- Cyclones Lothar and Martin,[58] 1999 – France, Switzerland and Germany were hit by severe storms Lothar (250 km/h (160 mph)), and Martin (198 km/h (123 mph)). 140 people were killed during the storms. Lothar and Martin together left 3.4 million customers in France without electricity.[43] It was one of the greatest energy disruptions ever experienced by a modern developed country.[47] The total costs resulting from both storms was estimated at almost 19.2 billion $US.
- Kyrill,[59] 2007 – Storm warnings were given for many countries in western, central and northern Europe with severe storm warnings for some areas. At least 53 people were killed in northern and central Europe, causing travel chaos across the region.
- Xynthia,[60] 2010 – A severe windstorm moved across the Canary Islands to Portugal and western and northern Spain, before moving on to hit south-western France. The highest gust speeds were recorded at Alto de Orduña, measured at 228 km/h (142 mph). 50 people were reported to have died.[61]
- Storm David - 2018 - The storm caused an estimated €1.14 billion – €2.6 billion in damage. Wind gusts up to 203 km/h (126 mph) wreaked havoc in UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The death toll reached 15.
- Storm Eunice - 2022 - The storm with wind gusts up to 196 km/h (122 mph) killed 17 people in Europe. The storm impacted the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Denmark, and Poland.
2023–24 European windstorm season has this summary so far:
| First storm formed | 25 September 2023 |
|---|---|
| Strongest storm1 | Ciarán 954 hPa (28.17 inHg) |
| Strongest wind gust | Ciarán 207 km/h (129 mph): Pointe du Raz, France: 2 November 2023 |
| Total storms | 6 |
| Total fatalities | 20 + 1 missing |
Low pressure records in Europe
954 hPa is deep, but they can go much deeper, see: List of atmospheric pressure records in Europe
The formation of low pressure systems is called
- 13 January 1993 Braer Storm dropped 78 hPa in 24 hours,[64][296] to a central pressure out in the Atlantic at
62° N, 15° W of 914.0 hPa, and was likely the deepest cyclone on record for the North Atlantic, and very probably for any temperate latitude.[297]
For comparison, the lowest Atlantic basin tropical cyclone low pressure is Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which holds the record at 882 hPa.[299](see list of most intense tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic).
- 14–15 December 1986, The British Meteorological Office assessed the centre of a depression at about 916 hPa, the West German Meteorological Service enclosed the depression with a 915 hPa isobar, indicating a pressure possibly as low as 912–913 hPa.[298]
Cyclogenesis
If the formation is very rapid over a 24-hour period, one can have:
Explosive cyclogenesis
When storms are not always storms
Before getting into the detail, it can be helpful to revisit the Beaufort scale?
The data in the list below is from the Wiki, but without hyperlinks and wave descriptions:
So what does this extended list look like? The German Wiki is more informative, and gives if translated:
207 km/h is wind force 12 according to the standard way of measuring, but the kinetic energy is three times the minimum to qualify for a 12 on the Beaufort scale.
What is a storm? - There is no universal definition of what constitutes a windstorm in Europe
In the Beaufort scale, they do not worry about a storm unless, the wind is up to speed, which is a wind force 10, defined as:
The Wiki for 2023–2024 European windstorm season shows a significant variation in the understanding of what a storm is:
The next is also interesting;
Is public storm awareness assisted by a sales pitch for the climate change agenda?
Climate change to bring more intense storms across Europe by Newcastle University
When I tried to look up this title in different search engines, there was no lack of echoing. The culprit is climate change, there is no doubt, no need to look deeper:
Reported gale observations
Here is a screenshot of the current situation from : SWIC - Gale
Meteoalarm.org has an interactive map with local warnings for land, but it is local for Europe, so the WMO map is better for the global overview.
A note on Wind speed - is it measured over two minutes or 10?
The German Wiki explains:
Windy.com has models of wind speeds and wind gusts - though most are for Europe
The screenshots below show the wind speed and wind gusts for the same area, using the same model.
Saturday 4 November at 12:00 UTC.
In the Beaufort scale, 10 kt is a 3, that is a gentle breeze while 29 kt is a 7, corresponding to a high wind, or moderate gale/near gale. If you go to the site and select different models, they also show different wind speeds and gusts.
What's up next among the European Windstorms
It depends on which region one lives in. The names for this season are published in this Wiki 2023–2024 European windstorm season. Going to the sources, I found that the Spanish AEMET.es chose a graphic display to help keep track of what is up and coming. The current is called Domingos, next will be Elisa.
Reading about storm names, record speeds, and forecasts, checking the METAR report from a local airport, if you live near one, will give actual data. Looking out the window is also helpful. Some events are very local.
The above statement needs a qualifier, because it turns out that European Windstorms do not need to be "Strong storms" to earn a name? A forecast of more than a wind force 8 is enough in some countries. And countries apparently do not even agree on how they define a mean wind speed measurement. Is it over two minutes or 10? At some stage in the post writing, I began to wonder if a climate change agenda influences how storms are talked about.
Before getting into the detail, it can be helpful to revisit the Beaufort scale?
The data in the list below is from the Wiki, but without hyperlinks and wave descriptions:
Beaufort scale[9][10][11][12] Beaufort number | Description | Wind speed | Wave height |
0 | Calm | < 1 knot < 1 mph < 2 km/h < 0.5 m/s | 0 ft 0 m |
1 | Light air | 1–3 knots 1–3 mph 2–5 km/h 0.5–1.5 m/s | 0–1 ft 0–0.3 m |
2 | Light breeze | 4–6 knots 4–7 mph 6–11 km/h 1.6–3.3 m/s | 1–2 ft 0.3–0.6 m |
3 | Gentle breeze | 7–10 knots 8–12 mph 12–19 km/h 3.4–5.5 m/s | 2–4 ft 0.6–1.2 m |
4 | Moderate breeze | 11–16 knots 13–18 mph 20–28 km/h 5.5–7.9 m/s | 3.5–6 ft 1–2 m |
5 | Fresh breeze | 17–21 knots 19–24 mph 29–38 km/h 8–10.7 m/s | 6–10 ft 2–3 m |
6 | Strong breeze | 22–27 knots 25–31 mph 39–49 km/h 10.8–13.8 m/s | 9–13 ft 3–4 m |
7 | High wind, moderate gale, near gale | 28–33 knots 32–38 mph 50–61 km/h 13.9–17.1 m/s | 13–19 ft 4–5.5 m |
8 | Gale, fresh gale | 34–40 knots 39–46 mph 62–74 km/h 17.2–20.7 m/s | 18–25 ft 5.5–7.5 m |
9 | Strong/severe gale | 41–47 knots 47–54 mph 75–88 km/h 20.8–24.4 m/s | 23–32 ft 7–10 m |
10 | Storm,[13] whole gale | 48–55 knots 55–63 mph 89–102 km/h 24.5–28.4 m/s | 29–41 ft 9–12.5 m |
11 | Violent storm | 56–63 knots 64–72 mph 103–117 km/h 28.5–32.6 m/s | 37–52 ft 11.5–16 m |
12 | Hurricane-force[13] | ≥ 64 knots ≥ 73 mph ≥ 118 km/h ≥ 32.7 m/s | ≥ 46 ft ≥ 14 m |
Apart from the Fujita scale and the TORRO scale, there is also the Saffir-Simpson scale.The Beaufort scale was extended in 1946 when forces 13 to 17 were added.[3] However, forces 13 to 17 were intended to apply only to special cases, such as tropical cyclones. Nowadays, the extended scale is only used in Taiwan and mainland China, which are often affected by typhoons. Internationally, WMO Manual on Marine Meteorological Services (2012 edition) defined the Beaufort Scale only up to force 12 and there was no recommendation on the use of the extended scale.[6]
Wind speed on the 1946 Beaufort scale is based on the empirical relationship:[7]
where v is the equivalent wind speed at 10 metres above the sea surface and B is Beaufort scale number. For example, B = 9.5 is related to 24.5 m/s which is equal to the lower limit of "10 Beaufort". Using this formula the highest winds in hurricanes would be 23 in the scale. F1 tornadoes on the Fujita scale and T2 TORRO scale also begin roughly at the end of level 12 of the Beaufort scale, but are independent scales – although the TORRO scale wind values are based on the 3/2 power law relating wind velocity to Beaufort force.[8]
So what does this extended list look like? The German Wiki is more informative, and gives if translated:
There was also in 2023–2024 European windstorm season
| Strongest wind gust | Ciarán 207 km/h (129 mph): Pointe du Raz, France: 2 |
|---|
What is a storm? - There is no universal definition of what constitutes a windstorm in Europe
In the Beaufort scale, they do not worry about a storm unless, the wind is up to speed, which is a wind force 10, defined as:
The Wiki for 2023–2024 European windstorm season shows a significant variation in the understanding of what a storm is:
65 km/h is a gale/fresh gale, or wind force 8:
Over 110 km/h in widespread gust speeds, means frequent speed as found in a violent storm, or wind force 11:
Next, the Wiki reads:
This corresponds to a wind force 7, variously called a high wind, moderate gale, near gale
A very different attitude is found next:
The source they give does not confirm the claim, at least not in the updated version:
The German scientists name both highs and lows
Model or reality?
The next is also interesting;
Maybe good to keep in mind next time a storm is announced.
Is public storm awareness assisted by a sales pitch for the climate change agenda?
Climate change to bring more intense storms across Europe by Newcastle University
When I tried to look up this title in different search engines, there was no lack of echoing. The culprit is climate change, there is no doubt, no need to look deeper:
The first expert they interview is a regional president, who speaks as he stole a line from Zelensky. Storm awareness and helping people who suffer is necessary, but why derail the possibility of meaningful discussions by ascribing it all to man driven climate change?
Reported gale observations
Here is a screenshot of the current situation from : SWIC - Gale
Meteoalarm.org has an interactive map with local warnings for land, but it is local for Europe, so the WMO map is better for the global overview.
A note on Wind speed - is it measured over two minutes or 10?
The German Wiki explains:
Above it was 10 minutes, which I also found on the page of the Danish Meteorological Institute, (DMI) but the English page about Wind gusts writes they count over two minutes. If they really changed it from a 10 minutes average to a 2-minute average, you will probably get a few more storms out of what was formerly not - though to push climate change, it will work better.
The Metar reports can be found here: METAR, TAF and NOTAM decoder for all 67,758 airports
A difference of 9-10 knots corresponds to about 5 m/s and that is also how DMI define their gusts:
An example would be a METAR report saying that the wind is coming from 280 degrees at 14 knots, but with gusts up to 24 knots and variable wind direction between 240 and 310. IT looks like this:
Many sites do not give a minimum for a gust, they just say it has to be less than 20 seconds, (less than 60 seconds for DMI) and none of the sites revealed what happens if it lasts longer, but less than what is required for a mean wind, be it two minutes as for the Americans and aligned or 10 minutes as for the Germans and aligned.
Windy.com has models of wind speeds and wind gusts - though most are for Europe
The screenshots below show the wind speed and wind gusts for the same area, using the same model.
Saturday 4 November at 12:00 UTC.
In the Beaufort scale, 10 kt is a 3, that is a gentle breeze while 29 kt is a 7, corresponding to a high wind, or moderate gale/near gale. If you go to the site and select different models, they also show different wind speeds and gusts.
What's up next among the European Windstorms
It depends on which region one lives in. The names for this season are published in this Wiki 2023–2024 European windstorm season. Going to the sources, I found that the Spanish AEMET.es chose a graphic display to help keep track of what is up and coming. The current is called Domingos, next will be Elisa.
Reading about storm names, record speeds, and forecasts, checking the METAR report from a local airport, if you live near one, will give actual data. Looking out the window is also helpful. Some events are very local.
(Nov 4, 2023)
All these storms with strong winds reminded me of the „wind chill“.
Here is a reminder from the Pierre’s book „Cometary Encounters“, also can be read here
www.sott.net
Here is a reminder from the Pierre’s book „Cometary Encounters“, also can be read here
Of Flash Frozen Mammoths and Cosmic Catastrophes
For years I've been fascinated by what could be considered as one of the greatest mysteries of our planet: the demise of the woolly mammoths. Try to imagine the barely imaginable: millions of giant mammoths inexplicably flash-frozen overnight....
www.sott.net
Notice that while -150°F is required to flash-freeze a mammoth, a higher temperature could achieve the same result if sufficient wind was generated. This phenomenon is called ‘wind chill,’ as shown in the wind-chill table below. For example, an air temperature of -76°F combined with 55mph winds leads to a heat loss equivalent to -150°F, i.e. the temperature required to flash-freeze mammoths and other animals. While a -76°F temperature cannot be experienced at ground level in temperate regions, this is a fairly common occurrence not far above our heads:
As indicated in the below diagram, 90 km above our heads the average atmospheric temperature is -90°C.
At an altitude of 11 km,108 the average temperature is about -60C.
