Publications
Tornado causes emergency evacuation at Selsey, Southern England, during the night of 20-21 November 1986, by D. M. Elsom and M. W. Rowe, published November 1988 in The Journal of Meteorology (vol. 13, no. 133, article, pp.349-355) Download PDF
Abstract:Four tornados formed during the passage of a cold front associated with a small frontal depression which passed across England and Wales during the night of 20-21 November 1986. In total, 300-400 houses were damaged by the four tornados, three of which reached force T3. At Selsey, West Sussex, nearly 300 people had to be evacuated from their damaged homes.
Climate change, the frequency of UK tornadoes and other issues raised in the media reporting of the Selsey tornado, 7 January 1998, by Derek M. Elsom, David J. Reynolds and Michael W. Rowe, published January 1999 in The Journal of Meteorology (vol. 24, no. 235, article, pp.3-13) Download PDF
Abstract:The T3-4 intensity tornado which struck Selsey, West Sussex, on 7 January 1998 received unusually widespread and headline national media coverage. This article considers the narure of the media reporting of that event, especially in terms of its content and accuracy. The media made much of the possibility that climate change, specifically global warming, is resulting in more tornadoes occuring in the UK. UK TORRO's database of tornadic activity for the period 1960 to 1997 indicates there is no significant trend within this period although the late 1980s and to some extent the 1990s produced fewer annual numbers of tornadoes and tornado days than many of the years in the 1970s and early 1980s.