The word “tornado” usually evokes images of flying cows and storm chasers in the movie Twister, or families hunkering down in basement shelters in America’s Midwest.

For many Australians, it’s not a weather event they associate with their own backyard.

However, tornadoes are actually much more common in Australia than many people may think.

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Between 30 to 80 tornadoes are recorded in Australia every year, with weather experts saying this number is likely much higher because tornadoes in more remote regions often go unnoticed.

Australia has a long history of tornadoes, with reports dating back to 1795 until as recent as October last year.

Also called a willy-willy, dust devil or twister, tornadoes are all characterised by a column of violently rotating air that forms in a cloud — with the column needing to touch the ground to be considered a proper tornado.

They can last from less than a minute to more than an hour and vary in size from metres to more than 1km wide.

The Bureau of Meteorology said winds inside a tornado can exceed 300km/h, making them “one of the most destructive phenomena in nature”.

“Tornadoes form when weakly rotating air near the surface is rapidly drawn upwards into a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud,” BOM said.

“As the air column rises it stretches, increasing the speed of rotation — like an ice skater spinning faster as they draw in their arms.”

This picture is believed to be the oldest one of a tornado in Australia, taken in Marong, central Victoria in September 1911. Credit: Museum Victoria

In Australia, there are two main types of tornadoes: Supercell tornadoes which are created during severe thunderstorms, and non-supercell tornadoes which occur during big shifts in weather such as strong cold fronts.

Supercell tornadoes are most common in central and eastern parts of NSW, southeast Queensland and northeast Victoria.

“They are more likely in late spring and early summer, when conditions are most favourable for intense thunderstorms,” BOM said.

Several large tornado outbreaks have already hit the US this year, including 10 tornadoes in April which damaged more than 100 homes in the Midwest.

Tornado outbreaks can also happen in Australia, although they are more rare.

On September 28, 2016, at least seven tornadoes led to a state-wide power outage in South Australia.

Why is it so hard to measure tornadoes in Australia?

“The destructive nature of a tornado makes it extremely difficult to measure the associated winds,” BOM said.

“For this reason, we estimate wind speeds based on the amount of damage caused to trees, buildings, and other structures built by humans.

“It’s likely that tornado intensity is underestimated in areas with few damage indicators, such as open fields or grassland.”

This means the majority of tornadoes outside of populated areas in Australia will go completely unnoticed or cannot be accurately measured.

A massive EF5 tornado passed through the town of Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 116 people on May 24, 2011. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

“If there’s no one around to see it, we don’t get a report of a tornado,” BOM said.

“They can’t be identified from satellite imagery, as they’re underneath clouds.”

The US — where an estimated 1200 tornadoes hit each year — has different atmospheric conditions, as well as a much larger population of people to record and report them.

Tornado recorded at Narrabri in NSW, October 2021. Credit: 7NEWS

Tornadoes are measured using the Enhanced Fujita scale, which ranges from EF0 (minor damage) to EF5 (incredible damage). It replaced the Fujita scale (F0 to F5) in 2007.

Australia has never recorded a tornado any stronger than EF4.

America, however, has had multiple extremely destructive EF5 tornadoes, such as the Joplin tornado that killed at least 116 people on May 24, 2011.

Tornadoes rated EF2 and above are referred to as significant tornadoes.

Strongest tornadoes recorded in Australia

While more difficult to track and record in Australia, several extremely powerful tornadoes have been confirmed since records began in the 1800s.

Bucca Tornado — Queensland 1992

The Bucca tornado touched down in Bundaberg and is the strongest recorded in Australia and the first and only local tornado to be officially rated F4 on the old scale.

Severe thunderstorms in the area on November 29, 1992 soon turned into cricket-ball sized hail before the formation of a short-lived but devastating tornado about 3.30pm.

It is estimated the tornado destroyed nine houses and killed more than 20 head of cattle within its 10-minute life-span.

Weather experts also recorded wind speeds of about 267km/h to 322km/h with stones being embedded in trees, tree saplings speared through the walls of houses and a 3 tonne truck thrown more than 300m.

The Bucca tornado in Bundaberg, 1992. Credit: Jeff Callaghan/Green Cross Australia

Mulwala Tornado — NSW/Victoria 2013

A strong EF3 tornado was recorded on the NSW-Victorian border at Mulwala on March 21, 2013.

It injured more than 20 people, two critically, and damaged or destroyed multiple homes and other structures.

Wind speeds of 218km/h to 266km/h were recorded.

Axe Creek Tornado — Victoria 2019

On June 29, 2019, a strong non-supercell tornado formed in Axe Creek, about 12km southeast of the regional Victorian city of Bendigo.

It almost completely destroyed a family’s double-brick home and carved a 750m-long path of damage through the property and nearby hardwood bush.

Experts said the level of damage was consistent with an EF3 tornado.

Axe Creek home destroyed in EF3 tornado. Credit: 7NEWS