{{Short description|1918 tornado family in Melbourne, Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox weather event | name = Brighton tornado | image = Brighton-tornado.jpg | alt = | caption = The Methodist Church, Hawthorn Road, completely destroyed by the tornado | duration = 2 February 1918 5:45 pm-2 February 1918 6:15 pm }}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado family | tornadoes = 3 | fujitascale = F3 | duration = 30 minutes | winds = {{convert|198|mph|abbr=on}} }}{{Infobox weather event/Effects | power outages = | fatalities = 2 | damages = A£100,000–150,000<ref name="Zeehan and Dundas Herald">{{Cite news |date=7 February 1918 |title=Brighton tornado: A thrilling time |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84267878?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FZ%2Ftitle%2F270%2F1918%2F02%2F07%2Fpage%2F8353962%2Farticle%2F84267878 |access-date=11 May 2026 |work=Zeehan and Dundas Herald |pages=4}}</ref> | affected = Brighton, Victoria | current advisories = | enhanced = | notes = }}{{Infobox weather event/Footer}} On the afternoon of 2 February 1918, with prevailing north-westerly winds and a heat wave (typical conditions for Melbourne thunderstorms).<ref name="BSH">{{cite web |title=The Brighton Cyclone 2nd February 1918 |url=http://home.vicnet.net.au/~vbhs/Articles/128_Brighton_Cyclone.htm |publisher=Brighton Historical Society Inc. |access-date=5 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809021440/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~vbhs/Articles/128_Brighton_Cyclone.htm |archivedate=9 August 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref> After a severe storm formed and moved off Port Phillip, two tornadoes struck Brighton beach simultaneously at approximately 5:45 pm and proceeded inland, converging near the junction of Halifax and Church Streets. Five minutes later, a third tornado struck. The tornadoes then tracked east over open fields.
Damage retrospectively rated F3 on the Fujita scale was observed in places. Two people were killed,<ref name="ga">{{cite web |title=Brighton Cyclone(Tornadoes) |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/hazards/severeweather/historic.jsp |accessdate=2008-04-05 |publisher=Geoscience Australia}} {{dead link|date=May 2026}}</ref> a man and a boy, while the drowning of a woman at St Kilda beach is believed to be related to the same storm cell.<ref name="Brighton Southern Cross">{{Cite news |date=5 October 1918 |title=Brighton's big effort |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75020222?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FB%2Ftitle%2F245%2F1918%2F10%2F05%2Fpage%2F7319056%2Farticle%2F75020222 |access-date=11 May 2026 |work=Brighton Southern Cross |pages=3}}</ref> Over 6 were injured in the Brighton area.<ref name="Zeehan and Dundas Herald"/>
The tornado completely destroyed the Hawthorn Road Methodist church, which was later rebuilt.<ref name="Brighton Southern Cross"/> Numerous homes were demolished.<ref name="Brighton Southern Cross"/> The tornado badly damaged the Brighton Baths, tore the roof off Royal Terminus Hotel and destroyed the verandah of Grimley's Hotel.<ref name="Brighton Southern Cross"/> Extensive damage was incurred to infrastructure on the Sandringham railway line.<ref name="Brighton Southern Cross"/> Several community and sporting facilities were destroyed including the cricket club grandstand and a bandstand.<ref name="Brighton Southern Cross"/> It also damaged the burial monument of Adam Lindsay Gordon in the Brighton general cemetery.<ref name="Zeehan and Dundas Herald"/>
== See also == * Extreme weather events in Melbourne *List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks **List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:1918 disasters in Australia Category:History of Melbourne Category:Tornadoes in Australia 1918 Category:Meteorological events in 1918 Category:1918 natural disasters Category:February 1918 in Australia
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