# Brighton tornado

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{{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£](/source/A%C2%A3)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](/source/Brighton%2C_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](/source/heat_wave) (typical conditions for Melbourne [thunderstorm](/source/thunderstorm)s).<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](/source/storm) formed and moved off [Port Phillip](/source/Port_Phillip), two [tornado](/source/tornado)es struck [Brighton](/source/Brighton%2C_Victoria) 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](/source/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](/source/St_Kilda%2C_Victoria) beach is believed to be related to the same [storm cell](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Adam_Lindsay_Gordon) in the Brighton general cemetery.<ref name="Zeehan and Dundas Herald"/>

== See also ==
* [Extreme weather events in Melbourne](/source/Extreme_weather_events_in_Melbourne)
*[List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks](/source/List_of_tornadoes_and_tornado_outbreaks)
**[List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks](/source/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

{{Melbourne-geo-stub}}
{{Natural-disaster-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Brighton tornado](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton_tornado) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton_tornado?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.