Although the majority of tornadoes were very weak, measuring F0 on the Fujita scale, widespread property damage was reported, mainly from the small number of tornadoes which intensified to F1 and F2 strength. By the end of the outbreak, hundreds of properties across the country had been damaged.[2]
Most of the tornadoes occurred in rural areas and small villages across central parts of the United Kingdom, although several large metropolitan areas were affected. The Liverpool area was the first to be struck by multiple tornadoes around 11:30, followed by the Manchester area around 12:00, the Hull area around 13:30 and the Birmingham area around 14:00. The strongest tornado of the outbreak, an F2 tornado, struck Holyhead in Anglesey, Wales at 10:30; the only other F2 tornado of the outbreak caused considerable damage in the village of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire around 14:00.
With 104 tornadoes, this single-day outbreak alone saw more confirmed tornadoes than any other whole year in British history – 1974 previously held the record, with 80 tornadoes across the whole year.[3] At the time of the 1981 outbreak, there had only been one other tornado outbreak in recorded history which produced more than 100 tornadoes within 24 hours, that being the 1974 Super Outbreak in the United States.[4]
On 22 November 1981, a rapidly deepening low-pressure extratropical cyclone was centred just off the northern coast of Scotland. The central pressure of this system was 994 mbar at 12:00 GMT on 22 November, deepening to 968 mbar by 12:00 GMT on 23 November.[5]
At the same time, a high-pressure anticyclone was pushing into southern England from mainland Europe. There was an unusually strong upper-level temperature gradient between the low- and high-pressure systems, with the low-pressure system funnelling in cold, arctic air from the north, clashing with humid, subtropical air moving up from southern Europe in the anticyclone.[6]
During the morning of 23 November, a cold front attached to the southern edge of the low-pressure area began to cross the United Kingdom from west to east. Fuelled by this temperature gradient and warm subtropical air to the south, a number of supercell thunderstorms became embedded within the southern edge of the cold front and its pre-frontal rain bands, spawning the first tornadoes over Wales by around 10:30 GMT. By mid-afternoon, 104 tornadoes had been confirmed across the United Kingdom.
Several days after the tornado outbreak, the high-pressure anticyclone to the south of the British Isles broke down, allowing colder arctic air to move in from the north, resulting in the start of a record-breaking cold wave.
| List of reported tornadoes - Monday 23 November 1981[7] | | F# | T# | Location | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Comments/Damage |
| Wales |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Amlwch | Anglesey | 53.40|-4.33|name=Amlwch (1019, F1)}} | 10:19
(±15 mins) | 6|km|mi}} | First tornado of the outbreak; touched down in Rhosgoch and moved north-eastwards towards Amlwch. |
| 2}} | F2 | 2}} | T5 | Holyhead | Anglesey | 53.31|-4.64|name=Holyhead (1034, F2)}} | 10:34 | Strongest tornado of the outbreak. 20 houses were damaged in Holyhead and a mobile home was overturned and destroyed.[8] |
| unknown}} | FU | unknown}} | TU | Holyhead | Anglesey | 53.30|-4.63|name=Holyhead (1034, FU)}} | 10:34 |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Penrhos Feilw | Anglesey | 53.29|-4.68|name=Penrhos Feilw (1045, F1)}} | 10:45
(±15 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Llanddaniel Fab | Anglesey | 53.21|-4.26|name=Llanddaniel Fab (1100, F1)}} | 11:00
(±5 mins) |
| North West England |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Wallasey | Merseyside | 53.43|-3.07|name=Wallasey (1130, F1)}} | 11:30
(±5 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Birkenhead | Merseyside | 53.40|-3.03|name=Birkenhead (1130, F0)}} | 11:30
(±1 hour) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | St Helens | Merseyside | 53.45|-2.73|name=St Helens (1150, F1)}} | 11:50
(±5 mins) | Tornado passed through St Helens town centre, causing damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Great Sutton | Cheshire | 53.27|-2.94|name=Great Sutton (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Antrobus | Cheshire | 53.31|-2.54|name=Antrobus (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Croft | Cheshire | 53.43|-2.55|name=Croft (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | 11|km|mi}} | Tornado later moved over the town of Warrington, causing some damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Hollinwood | Greater Manchester | 53.52|-2.13|name=Hollinwood (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±30 mins) | 5|km|mi}} | Tornado later moved over the town of Oldham, causing some damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Cheadle Hulme | Greater Manchester | 53.37|-2.18|name=Cheadle Hulme (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | Small tornado affecting parts of the town of Stockport. |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Whitefield | Greater Manchester | 53.55|-2.30|name=Whitefield (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | Small tornado affecting parts of the town of Bury. |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Timperley | Greater Manchester | 53.40|-2.33|name=Timperley (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±5 mins) |
| West Midlands |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Norbury | Shropshire | 53.53|-2.94|name=Norbury (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | 60|km|mi}} | Staying on the ground for a long distance, this tornado also significantly affected the town of Whitchurch before dissipating. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Market Drayton | Shropshire | 52.91|-2.49|name=Market Drayton (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±5 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Beckbury | Shropshire | 52.62|-2.35|name=Beckbury (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Knockin | Shropshire | 52.78|-3.00|name=Knockin (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | 8|km|mi}} | Also affected the town of Oswestry, causing some damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Chetwynd Manor | Shropshire | 52.77|-2.38|name=Chetwynd Manor (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±5 mins) | 5|km|mi}} | The market town of Newport was also impacted by this tornado. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Ironbridge | Shropshire | 52.63|-2.47|name=Ironbridge (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Kenilworth | Warwickshire | 52.35|-1.58|name=Kenilworth (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±15 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Fenny Compton | Warwickshire | 52.15|-1.38|name=Fenny Compton (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Wem | Shropshire | 52.86|-2.72|name=Wem (1205, F1)}} | 12:05
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Fordhouses | West Midlands | 52.63|-2.13|name=Fordhouses (1400, F1)}} | 14:00
(±1 hour) | Tornado caused damage in the suburbs of Wolverhampton. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Bloxwich | West Midlands | 52.62|-2.00|name=Bloxwich (1400, F1)}} | 14:00
(±1 hour) | Tornado affected the outskirts of Walsall. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Dudley | West Midlands | 52.50|-2.08|name=Dudley (1400, F1)}} | 14:00
(±1 hour) | 1.5|km|mi}} | Tornado touched down in the suburb of Woodsetton and later passed through Dudley town centre causing some damage before dissipating. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Erdington | West Midlands | 52.52|-1.84|name=Erdington (1400, F1)}} | 14:00
(±1 hour) | Tornado impacted the northern suburbs of Birmingham, causing some damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Selly Oak | West Midlands | 52.43|-1.95|name=Selly Oak (1400, F1)}} | 14:00
(±1 hour) | Tornado impacted the southern suburbs of Birmingham, causing some damage. |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Solihull | West Midlands | 52.42|-1.78|name=Solihull (1400, F0)}} | 14:00
(±1 hour) | 4|km|mi}} | Small tornado touched down in the suburb of Shirley and continued through to Solihull town centre. |
| 2}} | F2 | 2}} | T4 | Stoneleigh | Warwickshire | 52.35|-1.52|name=Stoneleigh (1400, F2)}} | 14:00
(±15 mins) | Second strongest tornado of the outbreak, caused considerable damage in the village of Stoneleigh. 20 large static caravans were blown over and destroyed.[9] |
| South East England |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Claydon | Oxfordshire | 52.13|-1.33|name=Claydon (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Hornton | Oxfordshire | 52.08|-1.42|name=Hornton (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Haversham | Buckinghamshire | 52.07|-0.78|name=Haversham (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | Affected Milton Keynes. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Wolverton | Buckinghamshire | 52.05|-0.82|name=Wolverton (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) | Affected Milton Keynes. |
| East Midlands |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Daventry | Northamptonshire | 52.25|-1.17|name=Daventry (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Great Houghton | Northamptonshire | 52.22|-0.83|name=Great Houghton (1200, F1)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Yardley Hastings | Northamptonshire | 52.20|-0.73|name=Yardley Hastings (1200, F0)}} | 12:00
(±3 hours) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Wrawby | Lincolnshire | 53.57|-0.47|name=Wrawby (1315, F1)}} | 13:15
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | South Killingholme | Lincolnshire | 53.57|-0.23|name=South Killingholme (1330, F1)}} | 13:30
(±1 hour) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Keelby | Lincolnshire | 53.57|-0.25|name=Keelby (1330, F1)}} | 13:30
(±1 hour) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Grimsby | Lincolnshire | 53.53|-0.05|name=Grimsby (1330, F1)}} | 13:30
(±1 hour) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T0 | Tydd St Mary | Lincolnshire | 52.75|0.14|name=Tydd St Mary (1445, F0)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| Yorkshire and the Humber |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Kingston upon Hull | East Riding of Yorkshire | 53.75|-0.34|name=Kingston upon Hull (1330, F1)}} | 13:30
(±5 mins) | Tornado passed through the north-eastern residential suburbs of Hull, causing damage. |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T0 | Kingston upon Hull | East Riding of Yorkshire | 53.74|-0.29|name=Kingston upon Hull (1330, F0)}} | 13:30
(±1 hour) | Small tornado affected the Port of Hull. |
| East of England |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Carlton | Bedfordshire | 52.19|-0.61|name=Carlton (1445, F1)}} | 14:45
(±5 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T0 | Aspley Guise | Bedfordshire | 52.02|-0.63|name=Aspley Guise (1445, F0)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Flitton | Bedfordshire | 52.00|-0.45|name=Flitton (1445, F1)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T0 | Luton | Bedfordshire | 51.88|-0.42|name=Luton (1445, F0)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) | Small tornado affected Luton, causing minimal damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Letchworth Garden City | Hertfordshire | 51.97|-0.22|name=Letchworth Garden City (1445, F1)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Fowlmere | Cambridgeshire | 52.08|0.08|name=Fowlmere (1445, F1)}} | 14:45
(±5 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T0 | Friday Bridge | Cambridgeshire | 52.62|0.16|name=Friday Bridge (1445, F0)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Upwell | Norfolk | 52.60|0.22|name=Upwell (1445, F0)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Huntingdon | Cambridgeshire | 52.33|-0.18|name=Huntingdon (1445, F1)}} | 14:45
(±5 mins) | Moderate tornado caused damage in Huntingdon town centre. |
| unknown}} | FU | unknown}} | TU | Wicken | Cambridgeshire | 52.30|0.30|name=Wicken (1445, FU)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Diddington | Cambridgeshire | 52.27|-0.25|name=Diddington (1445, F1)}} | 14:45
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Harrold | Bedfordshire | 52.20|-0.61|name=Harrold (1500, F1)}} | 15:00
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Silsoe | Bedfordshire | 52.00|-0.42|name=Silsoe (1500, F1)}} | 15:00
(±5 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Melton Constable | Norfolk | 52.85|1.03|name=Melton Constable (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Swaffham | Norfolk | 52.65|0.68|name=Swaffham (1500, F1)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Norwich | Norfolk | 52.63|1.30|name=Norwich (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) | Small tornado affected Norwich city centre and surrounding suburbs, causing widespread but minor damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Shipdham | Norfolk | 52.62|0.90|name=Shipdham (1500, F1)}} | 15:00
(±15 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Foulden | Norfolk | 52.55|0.60|name=Foulden (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Methwold | Norfolk | 52.52|0.55|name=Methwold (1500, F1)}} | 15:00
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Morningthorpe | Norfolk | 52.48|1.27|name=Morningthorpe (1500, F1)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Pulham Market | Norfolk | 52.42|1.25|name=Pulham Market (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Pulham St Mary | Norfolk | 52.43|1.25|name=Pulham St Mary (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Lakenheath | Suffolk | 52.43|0.57|name=Lakenheath (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±30 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Heybridge Basin | Essex | 51.73|0.71|name=Heybridge Basin (1500, F0)}} | 15:00
(±15 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Antingham | Norfolk | 52.85|1.35|name=Antingham (1515, F1)}} | 15:15
(±15 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Long Stratton | Norfolk | 52.48|1.23|name=Long Stratton (1515, F1)}} | 15:15
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Elmswell | Suffolk | 52.23|0.92|name=Elmswell (1515, F1)}} | 15:15
(±30 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Chelmsford | Essex | 51.73|0.48|name=Chelmsford (1515, F1)}} | 15:15
(±30 mins) | Tornado affected Chelmsford city centre and surrounding suburbs causing minor damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | North Creake | Norfolk | 52.90|0.77|name=North Creake (1520, F1)}} | 15:20
(±15 mins) |
| storm}} | F0 | storm}} | T1 | Mendlesham | Suffolk | 52.25|1.07|name=Mendlesham (1520, F0)}} | 15:20
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Beccles | Suffolk | 52.47|1.57|name=Beccles (1530, F1)}} | 15:30
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Combs | Suffolk | 52.17|0.99|name=Combs (1530, F1)}} | 15:30
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Needham Market | Suffolk | 52.16|1.06|name=Needham Market (1530, F1)}} | 15:30
(±15 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T3 | Coddenham | Suffolk | 52.13|1.12|name=Coddenham (1530, F1)}} | 15:30
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Chignall Smealy | Essex | 51.78|0.41|name=Chignall Smealy (1530, F1)}} | 15:30
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Broomfield | Essex | 51.77|0.47|name=Broomfield (1530, F1)}} | 15:30
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Mundon | Essex | 51.68|1.12|name=Mundon (1535, F1)}} | 15:35
(±5 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Wymondham | Norfolk | 52.57|1.12|name=Wymondham (1540, F1)}} | 15:40
(±15 mins) |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | Clacton-on-Sea | Essex | 51.79|1.16|name=Clacton-on-Sea (1545, F1)}} | 15:45
(±5 mins) | Tornado affected Clacton town centre and the seafront, causing moderate damage. |
| 1}} | F1 | 1}} | T2 | West Mersea | Essex | 51.77|0.90|name=West Mersea (1545, F1)}} | 15:45
(±5 mins) | Last tornado of the outbreak, touching down 5 hours and 26 minutes after the first tornado. |
1. ^http://www.eswd.eu/cgi-bin/eswd.cgi
2. ^{{Cite journal | doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.1985.tb06883.x|title = Britain's Greatest Tornado Outbreak| journal=Weather| volume=40| issue=8| pages=230–235|year = 1985|last1 = Rowe|first1 = M. W.| last2=Meaden| first2=G. T.}}
3. ^{{Cite journal | doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.1985.tb06883.x|title = Britain's Greatest Tornado Outbreak| journal=Weather| volume=40| issue=8| pages=230–235|year = 1985|last1 = Rowe|first1 = M. W.| last2=Meaden| first2=G. T.}}
4. ^{{Cite journal | doi=10.1002/j.1477-8696.1985.tb06883.x|title = Britain's Greatest Tornado Outbreak| journal=Weather| volume=40| issue=8| pages=230–235|year = 1985|last1 = Rowe|first1 = M. W.| last2=Meaden| first2=G. T.}}
5. ^{{Cite journal | doi=10.1175/WAF-D-15-0131.1|title = Reexamining the United Kingdom's Greatest Tornado Outbreak: Forecasting the Limited Extent of Tornadoes along a Cold Front| journal=Weather and Forecasting| volume=31| issue=3| pages=853–875|year = 2016|last1 = Apsley|first1 = Miriam L.| last2=Mulder| first2=Kelsey J.| last3=Schultz| first3=David M.| url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/61279/1/waf-d-15-0131%252E1.pdf}}
6. ^https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twocommunity/default.aspx?g=posts&t=17086
7. ^http://www.eswd.eu/cgi-bin/eswd.cgi
8. ^{{Cite journal | doi=10.1175/WAF-D-15-0131.1|title = Reexamining the United Kingdom's Greatest Tornado Outbreak: Forecasting the Limited Extent of Tornadoes along a Cold Front| journal=Weather and Forecasting| volume=31| issue=3| pages=853–875|year = 2016|last1 = Apsley|first1 = Miriam L.| last2=Mulder| first2=Kelsey J.| last3=Schultz| first3=David M.| url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/61279/1/waf-d-15-0131%252E1.pdf}}
9. ^{{Cite journal | doi=10.1175/WAF-D-15-0131.1|title = Reexamining the United Kingdom's Greatest Tornado Outbreak: Forecasting the Limited Extent of Tornadoes along a Cold Front| journal=Weather and Forecasting| volume=31| issue=3| pages=853–875|year = 2016|last1 = Apsley|first1 = Miriam L.| last2=Mulder| first2=Kelsey J.| last3=Schultz| first3=David M.| url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/61279/1/waf-d-15-0131%252E1.pdf}}
{{Weather events in the United Kingdom}}{{1981 tornado outbreaks}}