2005 Birmingham tornado
The tornado seen over Moseley, taken from Stratford Road | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 28, 2005 |
| Formed | 14:37 BST (UTC+01:00) |
| Duration | 20 minutes |
| IF3 tornado | |
| on the International Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 144–216 mph (232–348 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 39 |
| Damage | £40 million (2005) |
| Areas affected | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
The 2005 Birmingham tornado was an IF3 tornado which became the costliest tornado ever recorded in Great Britain. The tornado occurred in the Southern and Eastern suburbs of Birmingham on July 28, 2005. It formed on a day when thunderstorms were expected to develop across the Midlands and eastern England. The tornado touched down at approximately 14:37 BST in the King’s Heath area and moved north-northeasterly, affecting Kings Heath, Moseley, Sparkhill, Balsall Heath, Saltley and Erdington as it carved a roughly 7 mi (11 km) long path through the city. Several organizations have rated this tornado with various degrees of intensity; most recently the European Severe Storms Laboratory rated the tornado IF3 on the International Fujita scale in December 2024.