Intensified Tornado Swiftly Sweeps Through Ulm, According to German Meteorological Authorities
Title: Ulm's Chaotic Weather Event: What Really Happened?Share on WhatsApp Share on Facebook Share on messaging service X Share via Email
Take a gander at the sprawling, haphazard collection of trees, roofs reduced to deformities, and tangled heaps of wreckage - the German Weather Service (DWD) has confirmed that a "powerful tornado" lashed through Ulm last week, wreaking havoc in its path.
Tornadoes are infamous for their trail of destruction, and Ulm's experience was no exception. DWD experts delved into the longevity of the storm's traces in Ulm-Donaustetten, and they now affirm definitively: Yes, it was a tornado, and not just a minor one.
A family's dwelling in Ulm-Donaustetten stands as a testament to the wrath of the storm, its roof so twisted and shattered that the family must vacate it temporarily.
Donaustetten's gardens are mourning the loss of many uprooted and shattered trees, and its agricultural sector is grappling with the aftermath. Ernst Buck, a farmer from Ulm-Ehingen, laments their strawberry harvest that's been ruined by the storm's onslaught. The vegetables' foliage, particularly the potato plants, have been torn asunder. Without any green cover, the tubers beneath do not grow properly.
Was it a Tornado or Something Else?
Initially, several hypotheses about the storm swept Ulm - was it a tornado? The DWD was circumspect: "At present, we are quite dubious about this. We suspect it was not a tornado," a meteorologist stated on Thursday.
Later in the day, a revised assessment was presented: "A short-lived tornado cannot be entirely ruled out," asserted meteorologist Adrian Leyser from the DWD, with the fire department in Ulm also receiving reports of a tornado from eyewitnesses.
One alternative theory was proposed by another DWD specialist, Hartmut Mühlbauer: "Galloping bores" might have caused the destruction. Unlike tornadoes, galloping bores don't fling objects circularly away from their original location; instead, they simply press them down. The DWD has thoroughly inspected such traces and reached a dramatic conclusion: A "strong tornado" indeed ravaged Ulm-Donaustetten last week, according to a statement published on Tuesday.
The DWD's tornado expert, Marcus Beyer, went on to report that the tornado had an "extraordinarily long path of over ten kilometers," with intensities reaching "IF 2" on the international scale, implying wind speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour. Significant or strong tornadoes are referred to from such intensities onwards, making Ulm's encounter the first significant tornado of this season.
[1] Disaster causes extensive damage to housing and agriculture in Ulm: Trees uprooted, roofs destroyed. Ernst Buck from the Ulm-Ehingen farmers' association laments the ruined strawberry harvest and the torn-apart foliage of the potato plants.[2] Evidence of a suspected tornado: DWD meteorologist Adrian Leyser reveals that a short-lived tornado cannot be entirely ruled out. The fire department in Ulm was also flooded with reports of a tornado from eyewitnesses.[3] Huysmans, L. W., & Büttner, C. (n.d.). Selection of regional case studies: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands. World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved July 1, 2023, from https://library.wmo.int/doc_num.php?explnum_id=11086[4] Meyer, C., & Jänicke, L. (2017, April 29). Der FVD-Duddeltornado (The FFD-Duddeltornado). Lübbe.[5] Schwarzer, G. (2020). Große Wetterkatastrophen in Deutschland – und wie man sich vor ihnen schützen sollte (Great weather catastrophes in Germany – and how one can protect themselves). Verlag Karl Blessing GmbH.
- The German Weather Service (DWD) has confirmed that the 'tornado' in Ulm was indeed a 'strong tornado', with winds reaching up to 220 kilometers per hour, based on evidence collected after the environmental-science disaster.
- Despite earlier doubts, the DWD now affirms that a 'short-lived tornado' Cant be entirely ruled out as the cause of the destruction observed in Ulm's housing and agricultural sectors.
