1876 Bowen tornado
The Bowen tornado of February 22, 1876, is Australia’s first recorded F5 tornado. This rare and devastating event struck the coastal town of Bowen in Queensland, causing significant destruction. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) database marks the tornado’s location as present-day Brisbane; however, local newspapers from the time confirm that the tornado caused extensive damage in Bowen.
At the time, tornadoes were not officially rated using the Fujita or Enhanced Fujita scales. However, based on historical accounts and the severity of the damage, the Bowen tornado is retrospectively classified as an F5. This rating indicates that the tornado produced wind speeds exceeding 200 mph (322 km/h), capable of causing catastrophic destruction, such as leveling well-built houses and tossing heavy objects.
F5 tornadoes They’re extremely rare worldwide. Since 1950 fewer than 60 tornadoes have been officially rated F5 or EF5, representing less than 0.1% of all confirmed tornadoes. The Bowen tornado remains one of the few such events documented outside of North America.
The financial cost of the damage was estimated at £5,000, a substantial sum at the time. This figure highlights the severity of the destruction and the significant impact on the local economy and infrastructure.
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