On 28 July 2005, Birmingham was struck by the most damaging tornado ever recorded in the United Kingdom. Classified as an IF3 tornado by the European Severe Storms Laboratory in 2024, it left a 7-mile (11 km) trail of destruction through the southern and eastern suburbs of the city. The storm caused an estimated £40 million in damage (equivalent to £75 million in today’s money) and injured 39 people.
A Sudden and Violent Storm
The tornado touched down at approximately 2:37 PM BST in King’s Heath and travelled north-northeast, carving through Moseley, Sparkhill, Balsall Heath, Saltley, and Erdington before dissipating near the M6 motorway. While no fatalities occurred, the storm caused serious damage to over 500 buildings, uprooted hundreds of trees, and left entire streets unrecognisable.
Several areas, particularly Balsall Heath, saw homes lose their roofs, cars thrown across driveways, and mature trees completely flattened. Historic buildings such as Ladypool Primary School and Christ Church, Sparkbrook, suffered extensive damage. Emergency services declared a major incident and more than 160 people required emergency housing.
Meteorological Background
The tornado developed on a day when thunderstorms were forecast across the Midlands and eastern England. A shallow area of low pressure southwest of Cornwall combined with warm, unstable air drawn from Spain. As the afternoon sun broke through, rising temperatures helped fuel explosive storm development. A “triple point”—a rare meteorological setup where warm and cold fronts intersect—created ideal conditions for rotating thunderstorms, or supercells.
By early afternoon, storms began forming across the region. The cell that spawned the Birmingham tornado began developing shortly before 2 PM and quickly intensified.
Path of Destruction
- King’s Heath: The tornado first struck Howard Road, tearing off roofs and injuring a woman with flying debris.
- Moseley: Uprooted trees blocked roads such as Blenheim Road, and homes suffered structural damage.
- Balsall Heath: This area saw the tornado reach peak strength. Multiple terraced homes lost their roofs and upper floor walls. Shops were wrecked and vehicles displaced.
- Sparkhill: The tornado severely damaged Farm Park and numerous buildings along Coventry Road, including a wedding hall.
- Saltley & Erdington: The tornado began to weaken, though damage still included downed walls and damaged rooftops, especially near St Andrew’s Stadium and Gravelly Hill.
Emergency Response and Recovery
Over 50 ambulance crews and 10 fire teams responded, with sniffer dogs deployed to help locate any trapped residents. Then-Council Leader Paul Tillesley called it a “miracle” that nobody was killed.
The Birmingham City Council launched a £1 million recovery fund and provided temporary shelter for displaced families. Some severely damaged properties were marked for demolition, and rebuilding efforts continued well into the following year.
Tornado Rating and Historical Context
Originally rated EF2 under a draft version of the Enhanced Fujita scale, and later T5–6 by the UK-based TORRO organisation, the storm has most recently been reclassified as an IF3 under the International Fujita scale in 2024.
While tornadoes in the UK are not uncommon—averaging around 30 per year—most are weak. Birmingham, however, has experienced several significant events, including tornadoes in 1931, 1981, 1946, 1968, and 1999.
A Second Tornado in October
Remarkably, just three months later, another tornado struck Birmingham. On 12 October 2005, an IF2 tornado caused damage to homes in Dovey Road, Moseley, less than a mile from the July event’s path.
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