August 2008 European tornado outbreak
|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default.|duration= parameter from the infobox header or from another 'History' box instead.| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3–4, August 2008 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 13 confirmed |
| Maximum rating | F4 tornado |
| Duration | ~28+1⁄2 hours |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 3 fatalities (+1 non-tornadic), ≥50 injuries |
| Damage | Several million Euros |
| Areas affected | France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland |
The August 2008 European tornado outbreak was a widespread severe weather event which spawned thirteen tornadoes in four countries, one of which killed three people in France. This particular tornado reached F4 intensity.
Tornadoes are amongst the most costly natural hazards in Poland. On 15 August 2008, a tornado resulted in damage to 1624 buildings in the provinces of Opole, Katowice and Łódź. In the aftermath of this disaster, a damage survey was performed which is presented in this paper. While the tornado was passing, the peak gust wind velocities were estimated to be from 52 m/s (187 km/h) to 72 m/s (259 km/h) in the studied area. For low-rise brick buildings, which are common in Poland, some design details for the current building standards are suggested. They can lead to the improvement of building technology used in this type of buildings in order to mitigate the effects of extreme winds, which occur in tornadoes.