Advances in tornado and storm research in the United Kingdom and Europe: the role of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) was formed in the UK in 1974 in order to determine realistic spatial, temporal and intensity distr ibutions of tornadoes in the UK and, eventually, throughout Europe. Current ly, TORRO's databases contain nearly 2000 tornadoes and over 550 waterspout s for the UK alone. In 1972, TORRO's founder, Terence Meaden, devised the T ornado Intensity Scale. This scale enables the wind speeds of tornadoes to be rated on a scale from T0 to T10, or more (since it is an open-ended scal e). Using this scale, estimates have been made of the statistical return pe riods of differing intensities of UK tornadoes. TORRO's research into under standing the conditions of tornado development is ultimately intended to le ad to issuing forecasts of tornadoes. In 1991, TORRO issued the first torna do watch in the UK for 12 November and this proved to be accurate-not only did three property-damaging tornadoes strike East Anglia but the forecast m aximum intensity of T5 was attained. In 1975, TORRO expanded its activities to include conventional thunderstorm reporting and investigations. In 1982 , TORRO incorporated the British and Irish thunderstorm data-collection org anisation, the Thunderstorm Census Organisation (TCO), which was establishe d in 1924. By the early 1980s, TORRO's network of voluntary thunderstorm ob servers, located throughout the UK and Ireland and increasingly in other Eu ropean countries, numbered around 350 and the network continues to grow. In addition to TORRO's early focus on tornadoes and thunderstorms, its data c ollection and research has expanded to consider other whirlwinds (such as w aterspouts and land devils). hailstorms, lightning (including ball lightnin g) and blizzards/heavy snow falls. In 1996, TORRO began providing easy acce ss to its databases (e.g. post-1995 UK and European severe weather events, especially tornadoes and hailstorms) and other information via. its interne t site at http://www.torro.org.uk/. Building on over 25 years of experience -and of the half a century of the TCO before it-TORRO continues to expand i ts European role in severe weather data collection and research, helped by the on-going appointment of European representatives and its increasing Eur opean membership. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.