Germany records 31 tornadoes through September 2026 as drought limits storm activity

Below-average annual count

The German Meteorological Service (DWD), based in Offenbach, recorded 31 confirmed tornadoes across the country up to the end of September 2026. This figure places the year significantly below the long-term baseline for German weather patterns. In an average year, the meteorological agency registers 49 confirmed tornadoes nationwide. Because the main window for tornado activity in Germany spans from May to September, meteorologists expect few additional events before the end of the year. The 2026 total also contrasts sharply with the high tally recorded in 2006, when the DWD confirmed 121 tornadoes across Germany. DWD tornado expert Marcus Beyer addressed the low count while presenting the meteorological agency's preliminary annual review.

If you recall the average annual number of 49 confirmed tornadoes in Germany, there is still plenty of room upward.

Atmospheric conditions and drought

The primary factor behind the low number of tornadoes was a persistent lack of favorable atmospheric setups throughout the spring and summer. For a tornado to form, three distinct conditions must coincide: warm and humid air at ground level, cold air in the layers above, and strong wind shear. Wind shear occurs when wind speed increases with altitude while simultaneously changing direction. These atmospheric ingredients were seldom present together over German territory during 2026. Historical analysis from the DWD shows that every year featuring a low tornado count shares a single defining characteristic: a pronounced drought. Without sufficient surface moisture and atmospheric instability, storm systems were unable to generate the rotating updrafts required for tornadogenesis.

There was simply a lack of suitable weather conditions for the occurrence of tornadoes.

Regional distribution across states

Geographically, the confirmed tornadoes were concentrated primarily in northern and central Germany, while southern and eastern regions saw minimal activity. Lower Saxony registered nine confirmed tornadoes, the highest count of any federal state in 2026. Hesse recorded eight tornadoes, ranking second nationwide. Moderate activity occurred in Schleswig-Holstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia, each of which recorded three confirmed tornadoes. Five federal states documented exactly one tornado each: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, and Baden-Württemberg. Meanwhile, no tornadoes were confirmed in Saxony-Anhalt, Bavaria, or Saarland.

Notable storms and waterspouts

Although tornado counts remained depressed across the year, specific storm days produced intense localized activity. More than half of all tornadoes confirmed in 2026 developed during a single 24-hour period on 19 August, when 17 tornadoes touched down across the country. The year's first confirmed event took place on 3 June near the North Sea island of Borkum, where meteorologists identified a waterspout, a tornado occurring over an open body of water. On 1 July, another waterspout developed over Lake Constance (Bodensee) in southern Germany, an event noted by Beyer for its photogenic appearance. Several weeks later, on 26 July, a single localized thunderstorm cell near Cuxhaven produced three distinct tornadoes.