Possible Tornado Reported as Severe Storms Sweep Southern Estonia
Fast-moving thunderstorms brought heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds to Southern Estonia on Thursday evening, with unconfirmed reports of a possible tornado in Võru County, though meteorologists said no touchdown was confirmed.
Severe thunderstorms swept across Southern Estonia on Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain, lightning, and gusty winds. Unconfirmed reports emerged of a possible tornado in Võru County, but the Estonian Weather Service (EWS) has not confirmed any touchdown.
A low-pressure system pushed the storms northward through the Baltics, prompting EWS to issue level 2 storm warnings for Southern Estonia. Local media Lõuna-Eesti Postimees reported that video and photos from Võru and surrounding areas showed conditions deteriorating rapidly as a shelf cloud moved in from the south, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, localized hail, and flash flooding.
Estonian meteorologist Kairo Kiitsak stated on social media Friday that cloud rotation was visible in some places, but to the best of his knowledge, no funnel cloud actually touched down. He added that tornadoes may have briefly touched down further south in the Baltics, where wind damage and hail exceeding 2 cm in diameter were reported in several areas.
In Lithuania, a tornado hit Kazlų Rūda Municipality last Friday, with the village of Antanavas appearing to be the hardest hit, according to Maaleht. The June 5 tornado was brief, but images and videos of downed trees and damaged buildings quickly circulated on social media.
Tornadoes are relatively rare in Estonia. According to EWS data, only five tornado-related deaths were recorded nationwide between 1922 and 2022. In May 2022, a tornado near Rakvere caused local damage in the village of Mädapea. That July, another tornado touched down near the border of Tartu and Põlva counties, with the most severe damage in Paali and Raanitsa. In July 2023, a tornado near Mooste caused property damage in the village of Jaanimõisa.
