Where tornadoes happen
The USA has by far the most, but tornadoes touch down on every continent except Antarctica, from Bangladesh to Buckinghamshire.
The USA
About 1,200 tornadoes hit the USA each year. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics · checked 31 Oct 2026 Official US tornado records only go back to 1950, so the true average isn’t known. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics
North America is the continent where tornadoes happen most often. The most violent ones are rarely seen anywhere except the USA, Canada and Bangladesh. Met Office: Tornadoes
“Tornado Alley” is a nickname invented by the media for a broad area of the central USA. Violent tornadoes happen outside it every year. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics Tornadoes have been reported in all 50 US states. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics
When
US tornado season moves north through the year: May into early June on the southern Plains, earlier in spring on the Gulf coast, and June or July further north. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics
Tornadoes can happen at any time of day or night, but most occur between 4 and 9 p.m. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics
Around the world
Tornadoes happen in many parts of the world, including Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics
Two of the highest concentrations of tornadoes outside the USA are in Argentina and Bangladesh. NOAA NSSL: Tornado basics
Other tornado-prone areas include the Canadian Prairies, Bangladesh, Britain, north-east Mexico, northern Argentina, southern Brazil and parts of south-west Russia. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The online tornado FAQ
Canada’s first recorded F5 tornado was near Elie, Manitoba, on 22 June 2007. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The online tornado FAQ
Unusual places
Tornadoes are rare in the Arctic, but one was reported in Inuvik, Canada, on 15 July 2012. NOAA NSSL: Tornado FAQ
Tornadoes happen in the mountains too: a hiker photographed one at 12,000 feet in Sequoia National Park, California, in 2004. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The online tornado FAQ
Rivers, hills and valleys don’t protect towns. The 1925 Tri-State Tornado crossed the Mississippi River. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The online tornado FAQ
Tornadoes don’t avoid city centres; city centres are just small targets. Tall buildings don’t stop tornadoes. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The online tornado FAQ
The UK and Europe have a page of their own: tornadoes in the UK and Europe →
Next: the UK and Europe →