Report on a tornado at Malta, 14 October, 1960

Abstract

An account is given of the tornado which occurred at Malta on 14 October, 1960. The attendant meteorological conditions are examined and it is shown that a close parallel exists with those associated with tornadoes in the United States of America. This suggests that the techniques employed in the U.S.A. in forecasting "severe weather" can, with advantage, be applied also in the Mediterranean. Contrary to American experience, the wind field, on a synoptic scale, does not appear to show features of significance and it is suggested that the low-level convergence necessary for the maintenance of the tornado is provided by the thunderstorm downdraught, probably at the margin of the thunderstorm cell. The possible significance of internal waves is also discussed.