Tornadoes in Germany: intensity, temporal and spatial distribution

The last study about tornadoes in Gemany was done by Nikolai Dotzek in 2001, so an update of the statistics is urgently needed. The presentation will give a detailed statistical analysis of tornadoes in Germany. Because a more robust dataset is available since the year 2000, a special focus is given to reports of the last 25 years. The main results are: Significantly more tornadoes are reported since the year 2000. The mean annual number of tornadoes in Germany (about 49) is clearly higher than extrapolated by the study of Nikolai Dotzek. 2/3 of all tornadoes are weak. No trend towards more or less tornadoes is seen. Most of the tornadoes occur between May and September with a maximum in August, mainly due to a distinct maximum of waterspouts at the sea. Significant tornadoes (F2+) have their maximum in late spring to early summer (May to June). The majority of all tornadoes occurs in the afternoon and evening hours (14-18 UTC). Waterspouts mainly occur in the morning hours and account for a third of all cases. Some areas of enhanced tornado occurrence are revealed. The spatial distribution is influenced by the population density but local hotspots, which are best visible for significant tornadoes, are induced by local topography.