Brighton tornado
F3 tornado
The Methodist Church, Hawthorn Road, completely destroyed by the tornado
Formed2 February 1918 5:45 pm
Duration30 minutes
Dissipated2 February 1918 6:15 pm
Highest winds
  • 198 mph (319 km/h)
Max. rating1F3 tornado
Fatalities2 fatalities
DamageA£100,000–150,000[1]
Areas affectedBrighton, Victoria
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The Brighton tornado is the strongest storm recorded in Melbourne to date.

On the afternoon of 2 February 1918, with prevailing north-westerly winds and a heat wave (typical conditions for Melbourne thunderstorms).[2] After a severe storm formed and moved off Port Phillip, two tornadoes struck Brighton beach simultaneously at approximately 5:45 pm and proceeded inland, converging near the junction of Halifax and Church Streets. Five minutes later, a third tornado struck. The tornadoes then tracked east over open fields.

Damage retrospectively rated F3 on the Fujita scale was observed in places. Two people were killed,[3] a man and a boy, while the drowning of a woman at St Kilda beach is believed to be related to the same storm cell.[4] Over 6 were injured in the Brighton area.[1]

The tornado completely destroyed the Hawthorn Road Methodist church, which was later rebuilt.[4] Numerous homes were demolished.[4] The tornado badly damaged the Brighton Baths, tore the roof off Royal Terminus Hotel and destroyed the verandah of Grimley's Hotel.[4] Extensive damage was incurred to infrastructure on the Sandringham railway line.[4] Several community and sporting facilities were destroyed including the cricket club grandstand and a bandstand.[4] It also damaged the burial monument of Adam Lindsay Gordon in the Brighton general cemetery.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 pg 4 Zeehan and Dundas Herald Thursday 7 February 1918
  2. ↑ "The Brighton Cyclone 2nd February 1918". Brighton Historical Society Inc. Archived from the original on 9 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  3. ↑ "Brighton Cyclone(Tornadoes)". Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 pg 3. Brighton Southern Cross 5 October 1918


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