Storm Dudley

From 14 to 19 February 2022, a European windstorm struck the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The storm was named Storm Dudley by the UK Met Office on 14 February 2022.^[2] The storm caused 225,000 people to lose power, killed nine people, and spawned 24 tornadoes across Europe. The storm occurred just before the stronger and more impactful Storm Eunice, which caused over 3.1 million power outages,^[3][4][5][6] 17 fatalities, and over €1.83 billion in damage.^[7][8]

Storm Dudley

Type	Tornado outbreak, European windstorm
Duration	14 – 19 February 2022
Highest gust	166 km/h (103 mph), North Walsham.
Tornadoes confirmed	24
Max. rating1	F2 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak2	8 hours, 14 minutes
Fatalities	9 deaths, 5 injuries
Damage	$863 million (2022 USD), €794 million (2022 Euros) [1]
Power outages	225,000
Areas affected	United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Lithuania
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado

Meteorological history

Storm Dudley, along with Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin, formed by a sting jet, a narrow band of winds that can create narrow and intense winds in a small area. It was also partly due to a large polar vortex in the Arctic that formed these storms. The storm trio isn't particularly rare for the area, as it has happened before.^[9] The storm also brought a very rare formation of mammatus clouds, and brought wind gusts of 81 miles per hour (130 km/h) in Capel Cruig, Wales, 74 miles per hour (119 km/h) in Yorkshire and 71 miles per hour (114 km/h) in Drumalbin, Scotland.^[10]

Preparations and impacts

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom saw one fatality due to Storm Dudley.^[11] Dudley was expected to bring winds of 60 to 70 miles per hour (97 to 113 km/h), which caused travel restrictions. The Environment Agency issued 38 flood alerts for the UK.^[12] In Yorkshire, a falling power line electrocuted 13 dogs.^[13] During the cleanup of Storm Dudley, Storm Eunice struck, further compounding the damage.^[14] PwC estimated the insurance losses for the storm to be between £40 million and £75 million.^[15]

Germany

Storm Dudley causes three deaths in Germany,^[16] and spawned winds up to 152 kilometres per hour (94 mph) in the country.^[17] The Elbe River flowed 2 meters (6.6 ft) higher than normal, and a ferry had its windows shattered.^[18] The storm also spawned one tornado in Germany, in Brandenburg, which was rated as an F1/T3 tornado.^[19]

Poland

The storm produced a very intense squall line of severe thunderstorms that moved through Poland, producing damaging straight-line winds and numerous embedded tornadoes. A man in Western Poland near Gorzów Wielkopolski died when a tree fell on his car.^[20] Meanwhile, a tornado in Kraków caused a 20 meters (66 ft) long crane to collapse, killing two people and injuring two others. Another tornado in Sierosław injured one, and an F2 tornado in Wójcice injured two. Overall, 23 tornadoes were confirmed in Poland.^[19]

Lithuania

Storm Dudley killed two people in Lithuania due to strong winds.^[21]

Tornado outbreak

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
4	0	7	13	0	0	0	24

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, 17 February 2022
F#	T#	Location	District/ County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Germany
F1	T3	Casekow	Brandenburg	53.21°N 14.20°E / 53.21; 14.20 (Brandenburg (17 Feb, F1))	00:46	1.1 km, max. width 70m	This high-end F1 tornado damaged multiple buildings in and around Casekow. Homes in town sustained considerable roof damage, farmhouses were badly damaged outside of town, and horse stables were destroyed. Roof and solar panels were lifted and thrown, with parts shredded to pieces. Heavy damage occurred in a small wooded area, with many trees debranched and snapped.
Poland
F1	N/A	Skwierzyna	Lubuskie	52.57°N 15.52°E / 52.57; 15.52 (Lubuskie (17 Feb, F1))	02:00 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	Roofs of homes were damaged and windows were blown out. Large tree branches were snapped, and pieces of wood were thrown and impaled into a building's insulation layer.
F2	N/A	Izdebno	Wielkopolskie	52.67°N 16.17°E / 52.67; 16.17 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	02:24	1.1 km	Significant damage to a local forest was reported, and drone photos showed that a large swath of trees was flattened in a convergent pattern.
F2	N/A	Sucharzewo	Wielkopolskie	52.15°N 16.83°E / 52.15; 16.83 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:03	Unknown	Significant damage to houses and outbuildings occurred, with some structures largely destroyed. A brick cowshed collapsed, killing a bull inside. Swaths of trees were mowed down in forested areas, and some debarking was noted.
FU	N/A	Krzykosy	Wielkopolskie	52.25°N 18.83°E / 52.25; 18.83 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, FU))	03:11	Unknown	Power transmission lines and trees were downed, and residences sustained roof damage. At least one building was unroofed entirely.
F2	N/A	Młodzikowice	Wielkopolskie	52.12°N 17.24°E / 52.12; 17.24 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:18	0.9 km	A masonry outbuilding and a garage were largely destroyed, along with the roof of a cowshed with 50 cows living inside the building. Large trees were snapped in a convergent pattern in forested areas.
F2	T4	Grzywna Szlachecka, Kuczwały	Kujawsko-Pomorskie	53.14°N 18.64°E / 53.14; 18.64 (Kujawsko-Pomorskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:22	600m	Masonry outbuildings were destroyed, and vehicles were also damaged. Homes sustained roof, insulation, and window damage, and some buildings had damage to walls.
F2	T4	Nowe Miasto nad Wartą	Wielkopolskie	52.09°N 17.40°E / 52.09; 17.40 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:25	1.7 km, max. width 240m	A swath of large trees were snapped and uprooted in a convergent pattern as this tornado moved through forested areas.
F2	N/A	Lgów	Wielkopolskie	52.10°N 17.54°E / 52.10; 17.54 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:32	Unknown	Severe damage occurred in Lgów, where homes had their roofs torn off, outbuildings were destroyed, and debris was scattered throughout the community. Cars had windows blown out and were damaged by flying debris, and numerous large trees were snapped in a forest outside of town.
F2	N/A	Kosewo	Wielkopolskie	52.40°N 17.95°E / 52.40; 17.95 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:34	0.1 km max. width 100 m	A very brief but strong tornado downed trees in a convergent pattern and tossed boats at Lake Powidzkie. A residential building was heavily damaged, and sustained damage to its windows and insulation layer.
F2	T5	Dobrzyca, Sośnica	Wielkopolskie	52.40°N 17.95°E / 52.40; 17.95 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:42	Unknown	Significant structural damage occurred in Dobrzyca, where numerous homes had their roofs destroyed or torn off, and some sustained loss of their upper-floor exterior walls. Power lines were downed, streets were strewn with debris, and vehicles were also damaged. Large trees were snapped in and around town.
F2	N/A	Stara Ciświca	Wielkopolskie	52.01°N 17.98°E / 52.01; 17.98 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	03:50 (+/- 15 min.)	Unknown	Homes and a church had roofing torn off. Several outbuildings were destroyed, and others had walls partially collapsed. Some ducks were killed at a duck farm in the area, and many trees were uprooted and snapped.
F1	T3	Żurawin	Wielkopolskie	52.08°N 18.18°E / 52.08; 18.18 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F1))	03:55 (+/- 15 min.)	Unknown	A house had its metal roof blown off, with wooden beams and metal sheets blown at least 150 metres away from the structure. A few trees were also damaged.
F2	N/A	Tykadłów, Żelazków, Zborów, Podzborów	Wielkopolskie	51.85°N 18.18°E / 51.85; 18.18 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	04:00 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	Extensive damage occurred as this tornado impacted multiple villages, where homes and other structures had their roofs destroyed, and some had walls collapsed. Cars and buildings had their windows blown out, and many trees were snapped or uprooted. A soccer field was damaged as well.
F1	T3	Laski	Wielkopolskie	52.00°N 18.57°E / 52.00; 18.57 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F1))	04:09	Unknown	Trucks and trailers were overturned, and roofs were almost entirely torn off from residential buildings, with debris left deposited in nearby trees.
F1	T3	Łęka	Wielkopolskie	52.13°N 18.64°E / 52.13; 18.64 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F1))	04:10 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	Roofs were damaged or destroyed in the village as a result of this high-end F1 tornado. In one case, a wooden beam was found speared into a building. Trees in a nearby forest were downed in a convergent pattern.
F1	T3	Lipicze Górne, Ziemięcin	Łódzkie	52.13°N 18.55°E / 52.13; 18.55 (Łódzkie (17 Feb, F1))	04:12	Unknown	Roofs of outbuildings were destroyed, and at least two had walls partly collapsed. Parts of sheet metal and wooden beams from a building were blown off and scattered 100–150 metres away. Trees were downed in a local forest as well.
F2	N/A	Słomków Kościelny	Wielkopolskie	52.00°N 18.66°E / 52.00; 18.66 (Wielkopolskie (17 Feb, F2))	04:13	Unknown	A summer house was completely destroyed, and a nearby car was overturned and heavily damaged.
F2	N/A	Wójcice, Smaszków	Łódzkie	51.65°N 18.47°E / 51.65; 18.47 (Łódzkie (17 Feb, F2))	04:15 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	Numerous houses, outbuildings and trees sustained severe damage in both villages. A greenhouse was damaged, large masonry outbuildings were destroyed, and homes had their roofs torn off. Power transmission and communication lines were downed, and trees were snapped or uprooted. A 65-year-old woman sustained head injuries from a falling roof truss, and her 16-year-old grandson was injured by flying glass.
F1	T3	Aleksandria	Łódzkie	51.61°N 18.48°E / 51.61; 18.48 (Łódzkie (17 Feb, F1))	04:20 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	Several buildings in close proximity to each other were considerably damaged. Trucks and trailers were overturned, and walls were partly collapsed.
F2	N/A	Różyce Grochowe, Sulimy, Mrożewice	Łódzkie	51.97°N 19.19°E / 51.97; 19.19 (Łódzkie (17 Feb, F2))	04:30 (+/- 5 min.)	3 km	Structures in multiple villages sustained major roof damage, with debris scattered over 400 metres away. Large masonry outbuildings were almost fully destroyed and an area of forest was flattened, with many large trees snapped or uprooted.
FU	N/A	Sierosław	Łódzkie	51.50°N 19.62°E / 51.50; 19.62 (Łódzkie (17 Feb, F2))	05:05 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	Almost every building in Sierosław suffered some degree of damage, some of which had their roofs torn off, including a few that sustained damage to their brick exterior walls. Farms in the area were significantly damaged, and metal truss electrical transmission towers were blown over. Two trucks were overturned outside of town, and one of the drivers sustained injuries.
FU	N/A	Kraków	Małopolskie	50.02°N 20.05°E / 50.02; 20.05 (Małopolskie (February, FU))	8:05 (+/- 5 min.)	Unknown	2 deaths – A large construction crane was toppled to the ground, killing two construction workers. The roof of a supermarket was heavily damaged, with debris from the building strewn throughout the area. Some cars were damaged by flying roof debris, and two people were injured.

Highest wind gust per country

Country	Gust	Location	Date
Belgium	112 km/h	Zeebrugge	16 February
Czech Republic	160 km/h	Boskovice	17 February
Denmark	130 km/h	Frøslevlejren	17 February
France	164 km/h	Calais	16 February
Germany	153 km/h	Großer Arber	17 February
Guernsey	156 km/h	Saint Anne	16 February
Ireland	148 km/h	Waterford	16 February
Jersey	154 km/h	Saint John	16 February
Luxembourg	102 km/h	Lac de la Haute-Sûre	17 February
Netherlands	116 km/h	Lauwersoog	17 February
Poland	146 km/h	Kikół	17 February
United Kingdom	166 km/h	North Walsham	16 February

See also

• Storm Eunice – impacted similar areas two days later