Tornadoes, a phenomenon soon to be frequent in Europe?

The phenomenon is as sudden as it is brutal. A black column and winds over 300 km/h hit the Czech Republic on June 25, 2021, knocking down trees and sweeping the roofs of buildings. Tornadoes also hit France, between 20 and 40 times a year, with more or less intensity. In recent years, they are not more frequent but better documented.

More and more tornadoes in the years to come?

Last October, in Pas-de-Calais, a tornado crossed the village of Bihucourt. Dozens of houses were gutted after 30 seconds of chaos. The north of the country is one of the risk areas, with large plains and little relief, where tornadoes have time to form. With global warming, will these devastating vortices increase? “In the future, with one degree more temperature, we will have 7% more humidity. With two degrees, 14%, etc. (…) Potentially more favorable conditions for tornadoes”deciphers Robert Vautard, climatologist and director of research at the CNRS.