The 5 Deadliest Weather Phenomena

A single lightning strike killed 21 people in just a few seconds. It happened on December 23, 1975, when a group of people were in a hut in western Zimbabwe. Many of the huts in this area are built with corrugated iron roofs and lack lightning rods.

2. Rays, indirectly

A lightning strike ignited three oil storage tanks, each with a capacity of 5.000 tons. The fire caused some damage and rapid flooding. The tanks were located next to railway tracks that collapsed due to the flooding. The burning oil slick joined the rivers, which carried the fire to the village. Nearly 500 people died. This occurred on November 2, 1994, during a series of thunderstorms that affected Dronka (in southern Egypt).

3. The worst tropical cyclone

On November 12 and 13, 1970, a tropical cyclone, known as El Bhola, devastated Bangladesh (in South Asia), directly causing 300.000 deaths, although it is estimated that the deaths could have reached as high as 500.000.

4. The deadliest tornado

A tornado was the main protagonist in this case. The storm, with a diameter of 1,6 kilometers, moved rapidly, tearing everything from the ground in its path. It happened on April 26, 1989, in the Manikganj district of Bangladesh. The tornado destroyed two towns and left 80.000 people homeless. The toll was 1.300 dead and more than 12.000 injured.

5. The most violent hailstorm

On April 30, 1888, a hailstorm near Moradabad, in northern India, left 246 people dead. The hailstones were the size of oranges, and more than 1.600 farm animals were killed when they collided with them. Adding to the tragedy, the hailstorm also claimed the lives of several wedding guests in the countryside, as it was a holiday.

Meteorology, therefore, can be simultaneously fantastic, surprising, extreme, and dramatic.