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Rare autumn tornado devastates Sulzbach: winds up to 180 km/h!
A rare tornado swept through Sulzbach on October 23, 2023; Experts are investigating the damage and causes.
Rare autumn tornado devastates Sulzbach: winds up to 180 km/h!
On October 23, 2023, an uncomfortable day in autumn, a rare tornado passed through the Sulzbach an der Murr region in the Rems-Murr district. What happened that day felt like a weather coup that stunned the entire area. According to reports from Rheinpfalz, the tornado left a path of destruction about 100 meters wide and was classified by the German Weather Service (DWD) as having considerable wind speeds of up to 180 km/h. The damage was devastating.
The village of Siebersbach was particularly affected, where a barn collapsed and many trees were uprooted. The chaotic fall patterns of the fallen trees showed that the tornado almost certainly failed to hide its characteristic force. The DWD set out to assess the damage on site and came to the conclusion that it was a tornado of magnitude 1.5 on the Fujita scale - and therefore more than just a strong weather phenomenon.
An unusual weather phenomenon
It is noteworthy that tornadoes usually occur between May and September. This tornado was a real rarity for the fall months. Tornadoes are among the most powerful and unpredictable weather systems we have on Earth, as Live Science impressively describes. They don't just appear out of nowhere; rather, they are the product of strong winds combined with a low pressure system, often during a thunderstorm.
The tornado in Sulzbach was the 42nd reported tornado in Germany in 2023, showing that weather extremes are increasing in our region. On the same day, storm “Joshua” caused chaos across the board. In Schwäbisch Hall, for example, part of a roof collapsed into a drugstore, which made the destruction in the region even more impressive.
An unexpected weather combination
As confusing as it may be, many of the less severe tornadoes are often invisible to the naked eye. But major tornadoes, like the one that passed through Sulzbach, are characterized by strong winds that stir up earth and debris. On average, these weather phenomena measure about 250 feet wide and can cause horrific destruction, although they typically only travel a mile before dissipating.
For the residents of Sulzbach, October 23, 2023 will certainly be remembered as a day on which nature showed its mighty side. With the increasing frequency of such weather events, one might think that we need to better prepare for tornadoes. To learn more about tornadoes and how they form, we recommend taking a look at further information at Live Science.