Winter tornadoes in Ireland: The case of the Athlone tornado of 12 January 2004

Records to date show that the maximum frequency of tornadoes in Ireland is during the summer months of July and August. However, significant tornadoes have also occurred during the winter months. This study identifies the main characteristics of such events in Ireland and examines one particular case that occurred on 12th January 2004 in the town of Athlone, County Westmeath. It occurred at approximately 2000 UTC, during the hours of darkness. This, together with the severe weather that occurred at the same time, minimised the eyewitness evidence. But site investigations established a recognisable, narrow damage track approximately 4.15 km long and local witness evidence suggests it lasted between 15 and 20 min. The synoptic environment for this event consisted of a cold front that was crossing Ireland from the west. This was in close proximity to a strong jet streak at 300 hPa and an upper level trough with an intense cold pool of air. Overall there was very modest instability. However, both horizontal and vertical wind shear was very marked, at middle levels and, in particular, low levels up to 800 hPa. This appears to have played the major role in the development of a favourable environment for the tornado. Mesoscale detail from radar images suggests that the tornado occurred in a storm cell behind the cold front along a surface boundary between the rear outflow from a storm cell ahead of it and surface winds from the SSW. It is also suggested that low level wind speed shear may have produced a downburst into the flank of the Athlone storm cell and created a bow echo of particularly small space–time dimensions, a mere 11 km long lasting for up to 30 min. The tornado occurred in the northern ‘bookend’ portion of the bow echo. If so, this is the first record of a bow echo tornado for Ireland.