2026 Turkey tornado outbreak

2026 Turkey tornado outbreak
A photo of the tornado near Akçamezra .
Meteorological history
DurationMay 3, 2026
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes14
Max. rating
IF3 tornado
Duration6 hours, 10 minutes
Highest windsTornadic – 290 km/h (180 mph)
(Akçamezra, Turkey IF3+ on May 3rd) (Highest tornadic windspeed ever recorded in Turkey)
Highest gustsNon-tornadic – 180 km/h (110 mph)
(Gaziantep Province, Turkey) (Highest non-tornadic windspeed ever recorded in Turkey)
Lowest pressure998 hPa (mbar); 29.47 inHg
Largest hail7 cm (2.8 in) in Tabqa, Syria
(Tied for largest recorded hailstone in Syria)
Overall effects
Fatalities0 (+3 non–tornadic)[1]
Injuries21 (+46 non-tornadic)[1]
Areas affectedSouthern Turkey , Northern and Western Syria, Cyprus
Part of the Tornado outbreaks of 2026

A significant tornado outbreak took place on May 3, 2026 across the Middle Eastern countries of Turkey and Syria. Throughout the day, several strong tornadoes touched down in southern Turkey, multiple structures and vegetation were severely damaged with two people being injured by an IF3+ tornado.[2] One person was injured and homes were damaged by an IF1.5 in Oğuzeli.[3][2] An IF2.5 tornado hit the Malta village significantly damaging structures.[3][2][4] Four people were injured after an IF2 hit Viranşehir collapsing structures.[5][2] Eight people were injured after another tornado hit Viranşehir leveling farm buildings.[3][2][4]

Meteorological synopsis

Automated convective outlook for the area on 3 May 2026 at 12Z.

Early on May 3, the European Storm Forecast Experiment outlined a level 1/3 severe weather threat across southern Turkey and northern Syria, primarily for large hail and strong to severe wind gusts. A tornado risk was not initially anticipated, however.[6]

A strong ridge extended from North Africa to Eastern/Central Europe, framed by two upper-level troughs to its east and west. The eastern trough, which was positioned over the Aegean Sea and Turkey, had near record-low thickness values. This trough was accompanied by a broad low-level vortex affecting most of Turkey.[6]

Confirmed tornadoes

IFU IF0 IF0.5 IF1 IF1.5 IF2 IF2.5 IF3 IF4 IF5 Total
1 0 1 2 1 7 1 1 0 0 14

3 May event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, 3 May 2026[a]
IF# Location Region Country Start coord. Time (UTC) Path length Max. width
IF1 Sygkrasi Famagusta Cyprus 35°16′23″N 33°51′07″E / 35.273°N 33.852°E / 35.273; 33.852 (Sygkrasi (3 May, IF1)) 11:05
A tornado was reported to have damaged roofs in Sygkrasi.[2][7][8]
IFU Hama Hama Syria 35°08′17″N 36°45′22″E / 35.138°N 36.756°E / 35.138; 36.756 (Hama (3 May, IFU)) 11:40 Unknown Unknown
A brief landspout tornado was spotted in Hama causing no reported damage.[2]
IF3+ S of Ayyasha to Akçamezra, TR to Kayacık, TR Aleppo (SY), Kilis (TR), Gaziantep (TR), Adıyaman (TR) Syria, Turkey 36°40′05″N 37°31′16″E / 36.668°N 37.521°E / 36.668; 37.521 (Ajjasza (3 May, IF3)) 12:10–12:40 27.1 km (16.8 mi) 790 m (860 yd)
See section on this tornado. 2 people were injured.[2]
IF1.5 Oğuzeli Gaziantep Turkey 36°57′54″N 37°30′31″E / 36.9651°N 37.5085°E / 36.9651; 37.5085 (Oğuzeli (3 May, IF1.5)) 13:20
This tornado impacted Oğuzeli, downing numerous trees and badly damaging roofs. A man was injured after his vehicle he was driving struck a road sign thrown by the tornado.[2]
IF2 E of Harran Şanlıurfa Turkey 36°49′26″N 37°34′19″E / 36.8239°N 37.572°E / 36.8239; 37.572 (Aşağı Koçlu (3 May, IF2)) 14:45
A strong damaged solar panels around Aşağıkoçlu.[2]
IF2 ENE of Harran Şanlıurfa Turkey 37°00′25″N 39°25′21″E / 37.0069°N 39.4224°E / 37.0069; 39.4224 (Yukarı Yazıcı (3 May, IF2)) 15:00
This significant tornado badly damaged homes and leveled farm buildings in Yukarıyazıcı. Roofs were also destroyed.[2]
IF2.5 SSW of Viranşehir Şanlıurfa Turkey 37°02′45″N 39°38′34″E / 37.0459°N 39.6428°E / 37.0459; 39.6428 (Malta (3 May, IF2.5)) 15:00
A strong tornado caused significant damage to homes in the village of Malta.[2][9]
IF2 Viranşehir Şanlıurfa Turkey 37°13′49″N 39°47′36″E / 37.2302°N 39.7932°E / 37.2302; 39.7932 (Viranşehir (3 May, IF2)) 15:00
This strong tornado collapsed farm structures and enterprise homes. A solar panel park was also badly damaged.[2][9]
IF0.5 S of Viranşehir Şanlıurfa Turkey 37°04′18″N 39°44′04″E / 37.0717°N 39.7345°E / 37.0717; 39.7345 (Ayaklı (3 May, IF0.5)) 15:15
Minor damage occurred in the town of Ayaklı.[2][9]
IF2 NE of Viranşehir Şanlıurfa Turkey 37°23′54″N 39°54′07″E / 37.3982°N 39.9019°E / 37.3982; 39.9019 (Kalmazlar (3 May, IF2)) 15:15
A strong tornado impacted Kalmazlar, completely destroying farmhouses and significantly damaging roofs on other buildings.[2][9]
IF2 NNE of Viranşehir Şanlıurfa Turkey 37°25′04″N 39°51′45″E / 37.4179°N 39.8625°E / 37.4179; 39.8625 (Kadıköy (3 May, IF2)) 15:35
A significant tornado struck the town of Kadıköy. The tornado collapsed transmission towers and destroyed farm buildings. Eight people were injured.[2][10][9]
IF2 Subaşı Mardin Turkey 37°25′54″N 39°57′07″E / 37.4317°N 39.952°E / 37.4317; 39.952 (Subaşı (3 May, IF2)) 16:15
This tornado struck Subaşı and caused significant damage in the village. A construction container was overturned, injuring four workers. Power poles were also collapsed.[2]
IF2 Gümüştaş to Harabe Diyarbakır Turkey 37°33′36″N 40°00′54″E / 37.5599°N 40.0151°E / 37.5599; 40.0151 (Xerabê / Harabe (3 May, IF2)) 16:50 7 km (4.3 mi)
A significant tornado snapped wooden utility poles, snapped or uprooted trees, damaged roofs and destroyed solar panels.[2]
IF1 NW of Çınar Diyarbakır Turkey 37°43′49″N 40°23′42″E / 37.7302°N 40.3951°E / 37.7302; 40.3951 (Karacadağ (3 May, IF1)) 17:15
A tornado damaged roofs and snapped or uprooted trees.[2]

Ayyasha, Syria/Çaybeyi–Akçamezra–Kayacık, Turkey

Ayyasha, Syria/Akçamezra–Kayacık, Turkey
A photo of the tornado near peak intensity at Akçamezra.
Meteorological history
FormedMay 3, 2026, 3:10 p.m. TRT (UTC+03:00)
DissipatedMay 3, 2026, 3:40 p.m. TRT (UTC+03:00)
Duration30 minutes
IF3 tornado
on the International Fujita scale
Highest winds290 km/h (180 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities0
Injuries2
Radar image of the system which produced The Akçamezra Tornado

This intense and damaging tornado first touched down at 3:10 p.m. TRT, near the Turkish border just southeast of Ayyasha. The tornado was initially weak causing light damage in fields, the tornado then rapidly intensified to IF2 strength when it moved north into town causing significant damage to roofs and walls to buildings with power lines and utility poles being significantly bent or collapsed. As the tornado moved into the northern part of town, it collapsed a free-standing wall and debranched trees. The tornado then began moving northeast intensifying to IF3 strength as it debarked and completely debranched many mature pistachio trees. The tornado then weakened to IF2.5 strength as it traveled near the town of Silsileh where numerous large trees sustained heavy damage, with many being uprooted, snapped, or debranched. The tornado then impacted the western side of Silsile where there was significant damage done to vegetation and structures, with many structures losing their roofs and walls.[2]

The tornado then crossed the border into Turkey becoming more pronounced and maintaining its significant IF2.5 intensity as it impacted the town of Çangallı, Turkey where masonry buildings were damaged with roofs being heavily damaged, power lines were downed, and a transmission tower collapsed.[11] Pistachio trees in this area also sustained major damage. As the tornado continued on its northeastward path it barely missed the town of İnkılap when the tornado started turning northwest in an attempt to occlude only to fail doing so resulting in the tornado doing a loop in a field near the village. For the next 1.5 km (0.93 mi) of the tornadoes path northwest of Üçdamlar. The tornado began rapidly shrinking, going from almost 800 m (870 yd) wide to only 200 m (220 yd) wide as it was near Çaybeyi that the tornado intensified to IF3–IF4 strength as it completely swept three farm buildings off of their foundations with one of them being thrown 100 m (110 yd) being obliterated upon impact. The tornado then also scoured the ground leading to a sandpapering affect on mature pistachio trees causing extraordinary damage. Numerous trees were also denuded with few being completely debarked, and some others being ripped out of the ground and lofted short distances.[2]

IF3 damage to a masonry house in Akçamezra.

Continuing north, the tornado shrunk again, this time down to 100 m (110 yd) as it impacted the village of Akçamezra, across the village, the tornado destroyed masonry homes, collapsed utility poles, with some trailers/semi-trucks being thrown/overturned along with more structures sustaining significant damage.[12] The core of the narrow IF3–IF4 strength tornado showed at the southeastern side of the village, three masonry homes were completely destroyed, but one in particular with 50 cm (20 in) thick walls having ~60% of the structures walls collapsed. A nearby car was also picked up and thrown 15–20 m (16–22 yd) by the tornado as it debarked more trees, destroyed utility poles, and completely destroyed another masonry home. The tornado weakened slightly to IF2.5 strength as the tornado tracked through the eastern part of the village before quickly reintensifying to IF3 strength as it impacted many farmhouses just on the outside of the village. Several farmhouses received major damage with one of them being nearly completely destroyed besides one wall standing, the farmhouse was well constructed with around 30–40 cm (12–16 in) thick walls.[2]

A strong metal-frame outbuilding near Kayacık was completely destroyed by the tornado.
Pistachio trees near the building were heavily damaged; many trees were stubbed and/or slightly debarked.
Damage near Kayacık, where a strong metal-frame outbuilding was completely destroyed and nearby pistachio trees were heavily damaged.

The tornado continued, moving through rural areas mainly causing damage to crops before weakening to IF2 strength and moving into the eastern side of Kayacık where it damaged the roofs of farm buildings and crossing a highway. A van driving on the highway was thrown into a nearby field injuring both occupants,[13] the tornado continued in that field weakening again to IF1 intensity as it damaged trees and some more farm building roofs south of Karadibek. Eyewitnesses captured the tornado roping out where it lightly damaged crops and then finally dissipated at 3:40 p.m. TRT over some hills near the village.[2][14][15]

The tornado reached a peak width of 790 m (860 yd) and traveled 27.1 km (16.8 mi) in 30 minutes. Along its track, it damaged or destroyed numerous buildings injuring two people.[16][2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
  1. 1 2 BBC News Turkish (2026). "One person has died and many others have been injured in storms and heavy rains in Türkiye". BBC.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "European Severe Weather Database" (Interactive map and database). ESWD. European Severe Storms Laboratory. 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Teo Blašković (2026). "Multiple tornadoes reported in southeastern Türkiye during deadly severe weather outbreak". The Watchers.
  4. 1 2 Ahmet Hakkı Ak (2026). "Tornado in Viranşehir: Numerous injuries reported!". Gazete Ipekyol.
  5. ↑ ISTANBUL (2026). "Deadly storm hits country's southeast as spring snow blankets west". Daily News.
  6. 1 2 "European Storm Forecast Experiment". ESTOFEX. European Storm Forecast Experiment. 2026.
  7. ↑ read times (2026). "Tornado Horror in Borders Village: İskele Municipality is on Vigilance". Kibris Press.
  8. ↑ Topuz M. (2026). "Tornado caused damage in Boundary Village". Topuz Gazetesi.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 News Center (2026). "A tornado in Viranşehir, Şanlıurfa, rendered solar panels unusable". Mersin News.
  10. ↑ Mustafa Sekeroglu (2026). "The extent of the disaster following the tornado has come to light... A canceled wedding prevented a potential tragedy!". Haberturk.
  11. ↑ "Tornado Disaster in Çangallı Village". Kilis Kent Haber. 2026.
  12. ↑ "The 85-year-old woman, whose house collapsed in the storm in Gaziantep, described her horror". Haber7. 2026.
  13. ↑ PHOENIX (2026). "The tornado blew the traveling minibus to the side of the road". Nefes.
  14. ↑ Gazete Detay (2026). "TZOB President: We expect wheat production to increase to 22-23 million tons this year". Gazete Detay.
  15. ↑ Samet Koçum (2026). "Bayraktar met with disaster-affected farmers in Gaziantep". Ekspres.
  16. ↑ "In Gaziantep, the tornado blew the minibus for meters". Yeni Safak. 2026.
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