There's something significant that happened (on the 3 dates
in Red), in September, that had ramifications across the globe.
Tornado EF1 in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) on September 25, 2020
On September 25, 2020, at 4:36 am local time, a low-intensity tornado (EF1), originating from a waterspout, crossed several districts of Le Havre (Seine-Maritime). The phenomenon, which blows up beach huts and then damages three restaurants, is felt as far as the outskirts of the industrial port area.
The Le Havre tornado of September 25, 2020 is part of a tornado outbreak (grouped tornado episode) which totals 5 cases for the days of September
23, 24 and 25, 2020 (interruption of less than 24 hours between each case), including tornado EF2 from Port-des-Barques (Charente-Maritime), tornado EF0 from Marennes-Hiers-Brouage (Charente-Maritime), tornado EF0 from Croix-Valmer (Var) and tornado EF0 from Fayence (Var) .
It should be noted that the city of Le Havre has already been struck three times by a tornado in similar circumstances: August 21, 1904 (EF1), January 18, 1906 (EF2) and more recently December 1, 2007 (EF1) where the phenomenon particularly strikes Gonfreville-l'Orcher.
* Maximum intensity: EF1, i.e. winds estimated between 135 km / h and 175 km / h
* Distance traveled: 5.5 kilometers
* Average width: 100 meters
* Common crossing: LE HAVRE (promenade André Duroméa, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Saint-Michel, station, the Docks, boulevard Jules Durand)
* Department: SEINE-MARITIME (76)
* Average altitude of the terrain: 6 meters
* Type of land: continuous urban fabric; industrial and commercial areas; port areas; intertidal zones
* Main damage: limbed or severed trees and branches blown away; dozens of blown-up beach huts and strewn debris; four damaged beach restaurants (furniture taken, windows exploded, walls bent, roofs washed away); broken windows on vehicles; dozens of damaged homes (broken windows, collapsed chimneys, torn shutters, rows of tiles blown away, a roof partially torn off); metal shutter and bay window of a car dealership unsealed; street furniture twisted or bent by the wind; many debris of branches, sheets and tiles in the streets
NB: the intensity of tornadoes is determined on the increased EF scale (English version). This version of the EF scale, developed and implemented by KERAUNOS since 2009, adds to the American criteria a series of specific features specific to European housing and thus allows a precise rating of tornadoes, valid as much for contemporary tornadoes as for tornadoes of the past, and internationally consistent.
Blown beach huts and damage in the city
The Havre tornado of September 25, 2020 was identified with the support of press articles, a CCTV camera from a beach restaurant, and thanks to the invaluable contribution of Siegfried Marechal, Paul Giannoni and 'Etienne Delauney who were able to determine a corridor of damage 100 meters wide. The testimony of one of them is characteristic: "I heard it coming from afar and leaving a bit like a plane. The whole building shook."
The Havre tornado of September 25, 2020 was identified with the support of press articles, a CCTV camera from a beach restaurant, and thanks to the invaluable contribution of Siegfried Marechal, Paul Giannoni and 'Etienne Delauney who were able to determine a corridor of damage 100 meters wide. The testimony of one of them is characteristic: "I heard it coming from afar and leaving a bit like a plane. The whole building shook."
The phenomenon arose from a waterspout that entered land at 4:36 am local time, at which time a CCTV camera recorded the passage of the whirlpool on the restaurant "La P'tite Plage". We can very clearly distinguish the gyratory movement of the wind, with a first suction of chairs, then a violent contrary movement which coincides with the tornado itself:
Is this normal?
Toulose Tornade 4-30-12.jpg
