Tornadoes can technically happen pretty much anywhere, which is part of what makes them so concerning. They have been documented on every continent (except Antarctica), but certain parts of the world see way more tornadoes than others. Comparing data between countries is not easy, as tornadoes that occur in remote areas generally aren’t reported. The United States is usually considered the tornado capital of the world, but it isn’t the only country affected by these storms. Several other nations have major tornado hotspots of their own. These are eight places where tornadoes are surprisingly common.
United States
No country comes close to the United States when it comes to the number of tornadoes. Around 1,200 are recorded during an average year. Especially high numbers are spotted across Tornado Alley, which includes the Great Plains and Midwestern regions. However, more and more outbreaks have been occurring in the South. The country’s geographic position creates nearly ideal conditions for these storms. When warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cool, dry air from other areas of the country, you get excellent tornado-forming weather. America not only gets tons of tornadoes, but strong ones too. If you’re terrified of tornadoes, the U.S. might not be your ideal home country.
Argentina and Uruguay
One of the world’s major tornado regions sits way south of North America. Many of the same factors that bring the U.S. so many tornadoes are also found in the plains of Argentina and Uruguay. Warm, moisture-rich air meets colder air near the Andes Mountains, generating powerful storms. NOAA even specifically identifies Northern Argentina as one of the world’s tornado hotspots. Detection and documentation aren’t as reliable here as it is in the United States, so exact yearly numbers are hard to figure out. Still, this part of South America has often been compared to America’s Tornado Alley.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh doesn’t necessarily have the highest number of tornadoes, but it has a terrifying history of them. The country’s geographic position means warm, humid air from the Bay of Bengal drifts directly over it, leading to violent thunderstorms. Tornado activity is common in central, south-central, and southeastern Bangladesh. Some of the storms have been devastating, striking highly populated towns with almost no warning. One report identified 85 tornadoes across the Bengal region between 1838 and 2001. About 24 of these had a death toll of at least 100 people.
Australia
Australia is way better known for its crocodiles, wildfires, and poisonous snakes than its tornadoes, but the continent-country gets a surprising number of them. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology estimates that around 50 tornadoes develop each year, and historical estimates range from 30 to 80. Because huge sections of Australia are hardly populated, it is highly likely that plenty of the country’s tornadoes are never even recorded. Like in America, the most powerful tornadoes tend to be associated with supercell thunderstorms. Tornadoes do not discriminate here and have been recorded in most parts of the country, including Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. You can add tornadoes to Australia’s list of terrifying natural phenomena.
Canada
America’s northern neighbor gets plenty of tornadoes too. Canadian records from years back documented around 60 to 65 tornadoes each year, but better technology has shown that the actual number is much higher. The Northern Tornadoes Project detected an average of 107 tornadoes per year between 2017 and 2024. And even still, researchers say many tornadoes go undetected. Tornado-prone areas include Ontario, which records the most, and the Prairie Provinces. Canada has even experienced a dreaded F5 tornado, the strongest of them all. This monster hit Elie, Manitoba, in 2007.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, well-known for its gloomy skies, gets more twisters than most people realize. Around 30 are reported each year, which is an especially high number for its size. In fact, the Met Office found that England averages more tornadoes per 10,000 square kilometers than the United States. There is a major difference, though: UK tornadoes are almost always much smaller and weaker than the monsters that whip up in America. However, they can still cause damage to homes and trees when they pass through populated areas.
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil sits within another major tornado zone. The subtropical region is just east of the Andes Mountains, where atmospheric conditions are often suitable for severe storms. And sometimes, those storms produce tornadoes. Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná are all highly vulnerable to this severe weather. Unfortunately, Brazil’s tornado documentation is much less complete than U.S. records. For this reason, researchers believe the existing record doesn’t tell the full story.
Southwestern Russia
Russia is enormous, meaning it has pretty much every type of weather that exists, and yes, this includes tornadoes. NOAA states that specific areas of southwestern Russia are incredibly tornado-prone. During the warm season, conditions can generate the instability and wind shear needed to form a tornado. Like in Australia, twisters can move through expansive areas that are scarcely populated, which means they aren’t even reported. This makes it difficult to know exactly how many tornadoes touch down in an average year.