Severe tornadoes on the Caribbean coast of Colombia since 2001 and their relation to local climate conditions

Tornadoes have been reported in various places around the world. The United States has the greatest number of tornado reports. In South America, tornadoes have been reported in Argentina and neighboring countries, such as Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay. There are no reports of tornadoes in Colombia in the worldwide databases. The first reported tornado event in Colombia took place in 2001. Since then, four tornados have affected the northern part of Colombia. The aim of this study is to characterize the events reported on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and their relation to local climate conditions. Before 2001, we had no knowledge regarding tornadoes in this area. However, during the past 10 years, these atmospheric phenomena have occurred in Barranquilla and the surrounding metropolitan area. Worldwide databases on tornadoes have not registered any such events in this part of South America. A review of the atmospheric information was conducted to determine the influence of air temperature increases on tornado formation. This study reveals that tornadoes have appeared between May and September, the months during which the city experiences the hottest temperatures of the year. The most significant tornado took place on September 15, 2006. This tornado lasted 15 min and travelled almost 10 km. Of the four registered tornadoes, this was the only one to affect the residential area of the city. The other three affected only the suburbs located in the surrounding metropolitan area. The most recent phenomenon related with tornadoes took place between July and August of 2010, during which three tornadoes could have potentially formed. However, a vortex never made contact with the ground. This meteorological analysis is very basic because climate information for these areas is limited. Still, what information we have reveals conditions that are typical of tornado formation: a mass of cold air combined with high air temperatures in a specific area. The data analysis reveals that tornados have occurred between May and June. These months correspond to the period characterized by the highest temperatures: average temperatures of 28.2 °C and maximum temperatures of 33.2 °C. This is also the period characterized by the greatest relative humidity and precipitation (84 % and 50 mm, respectively). Because the tornadoes reports only appeared in the last 10 years, it is not possible to determine whether there is a realistic relationship between their occurrence and large-scale climatic change. This article characterizes tornadoes as a new environmental threat and not an isolated phenomenon for this part of Colombia. Tornadoes in this region should thus be included in global databases. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012