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A waterspout seen from Dongjidao Weather Station in Penghu County
Tornadoes in Taiwan are rare with an average of 4 to 6 tornadoes annually. Most of these tornadoes are weak and short-lived with intensities that range between F0 and F1, although a very few tornadoes have reached F2 intensities. They occur less frequently compared to its neighboring countries such as China and Japan. Between 1998 and 2021, there are a total number of 156 documented tornadoes in the country. One of the earliest mentions of tornadoes that were documented in the country was in Anping, Tainan on June 3, 1877. However, the first tornado officially confirmed by the Central Weather Administration was in Tainan on April 18, 2007. Some tornadoes in the country originated as waterspouts before moving inland. Tornadoes in the country often occur during the summer monsoon months from April to October.
Etymology
The word for 'tornado' in Taiwanese Hokkien is 卷螺仔风 (simplified) and 捲螺仔風 (traditional), which also refers to the word 'whirlwind.' It is a variation of the Mandarin Chinese word 龙卷风 (simplified) and 龍捲風 (traditional) which is lóng juǎn fēng in Pinyin, meaning "swirling-dragon wind," referring to the shape of a violently, rotating column of air.
A tornado is a powerful, rotating column of air that descends from the base of a thunderstorm onto the ground. It forms when warm, moist air collides with cold, dry air to create strong atmospheric instability, which then rotates due to vertical wind shear. Tornadoes often occur on intense thunderstorms or during tropical cyclones. Although tornadoes are short-lived, they can be destructive.
A map showing the path of tornadoes that hit Tainan on July 18, 1904
Taiwan has a humid subtropical climate in the north and a tropical monsoon climate in the south. During the rainy season or plum rain, the summer monsoon brings most of the accumulated annual rainfall in the country. It is also one of the most typhoon-prone areas in the world with an average of 3 to 4 typhoons hitting the country every year. One of the hazards of typhoons are tornadoes, which generally form on the right-front region of the storm system relative to its track. A notable example is a tornado in Tainan on August 9, 2015, where it formed on the outer bands of Typhoon Soudelor. While the probability of tornadoes hitting the country are rare, most of them occur in specific atmospheric environments. The geography of the country, particularly in the southern regions and the Chianan Plain are susceptible for tornadoes. Also known as the country's "tornado nest," areas such as Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung account for two-thirds of total documented tornadoes.
Tornado damage in Zouying Naval Base, Kaohsiung on May 14, 1951
There are three specific environments for tornadoes to form: convection cells that form thunderstorms, the development of cumulus clouds that create a vertical column of vortices, or during typhoons. These environments provide the necessary conditions for tornadoes to occur in the country. Because tornadoes happen on a small scale, it is difficult for the country's meteorological agency to analyze such events. Most historical records of tornadoes came from news reports or through damage assessments but the prevalence of internet usage led to an increase in tornado reports, primarily through social media.
There are some notable tornadoes in Taiwan. On May 12, 2011, a rare anti-cyclonic F1 tornado formed in Xindian District, New Taipei City. It was also the first tornado ever observed in the northern region. Meanwhile, on April 6, 2013, the country's first multi-vortex tornado hit Dashu District, Kaohsiung and Wandan, Pingtung and was given an F2 rating by the Central Weather Administration.
Events
Pre-2000s
June 3, 1877 – Roofs were torn off and trees were uprooted by what was described as a violent whirlwind that hit Tainan. A fisherman from Xishu village (modern-day South District, Tainan) was carried away to Alishan and presumably died before he was found alive more than ten days later.
April 21, 1878 – Multiple structures in modern-day Zhongxi District, Tainan were hit by a whirlwind that destroyed several homes, government offices, and a temple. Local reports initially indicated more than a hundred deaths and a multiple number of unknown people injured. However, 'foreigners' tallied approximately 20 deaths. There were no records of official statistics in archives.
July 18, 1904 – Two tornadoes hit Tainan after a typhoon struck the area where it resulted in more than 200 homes damaged, 80 people injured, and 5 others dead. The first tornado began in Anping District and travelled through several districts in the city where it destroyed almost 70 homes and damaged 20 others before it dissipated near Liujia District. Another tornado appeared hours later in Xinhua District and travelled roughly the same direction as the previous tornado before dissipating near the Zengwen River.
May 14, 1951 – A series of tornadoes hit southern Taiwan that resulted in multiple structures destroyed and several casualties. At 17:10 TST, a tornado hit Zuoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung where it collapsed a warehouse and a school, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. At 18:35 TST, another tornado hit Nanzih District, Kaohsiung where it started travelling through Wandan, Pingtung and Xinshi, Tainan before it dissipated in Majia, Pingtung. It damaged more than 30 homes and a school in Wandan where it killed a two-year-old child. At 19:30 TST, a tornado hit the Taiwan Sugar Research Institute in Tainan where it proceeded to damage the building and several sugarcane fields.
June 5, 1993 – Around 49 homes were damaged and 5 people were injured by a tornado in Jiangjun District, Tainan.
2000s
June 11, 2003 – An F0 tornado toppled power lines and caused a power outage in Kaohsiung.
August 25, 2004 – Several plantations and houses were damaged by an F0 tornado in Zhongpu, Chiayi County.
April 18, 2007 – Several townships in Tainan County were hit by an F2 tornado where it damaged more than a hundred homes in the area. It stayed on the ground at about 40 minutes and formed a path at around 40km (24.9mi) long and 20m (65.5ft) wide before dissipating. It had the longest duration and the longest path in the country's recorded history.
April 20, 2009 – A village in Baihe District, Tainan was hit by an F1 tornado where it destroyed at least 9 houses and damaged 20 others.
August 1, 2011 – More than 40 homes were damaged by a tornado that hit districts in Tainan.
September 16, 2012 – A total of five homes and large areas of a farmland were destroyed by a tornado in the Meinong District, Kaohsiung.
April 6, 2013 – A rare multi-vortex F2 tornado damaged 28 homes and several hectares of farmland in Dashu District, Kaohsiung and Wandan, Pingtung. It lasted for about 10 minutes and travelled for approximately 8km (5mi) before dissipating. The tornado also injured 2 people in the area.
July 19, 2014 – A tornado that originated as a waterspout in the Gaoping River damaged 10 homes as it travelled for 6km (3.72mi) in Ligang, Pingtung County.
August 9, 2015 – Multiple debris were scattered, cars were swept, and a white minivan was picked up by a tornado along a road in Tainan during Typhoon Soudelor. One person was reported injured from the tornado.
July 1, 2019 – Two townships in Pingtung County were hit by a tornado which resulted in more than a hundred homes damaged and five cars destroyed. In Linbian Township, two people were injured after being hit by flying debris.
July 1, 2025 – A landspout was seen travelling in Guanshan, Taitung and lasted for about 10 minutes before dissipating.
July 11, 2025 – Two tornadoes appeared in southern Taiwan. A tornado was spotted in Wandan, Pingtung while at the same time, another tornado formed in Daliao District, Kaohsiung. Both tornadoes have no reported damages.
September 23, 2025 – Months after a tornado hit in Daren, Taitung, another tornado that was formed during Typhoon Ragasa hit the township where it damaged 10 homes, scattered debris, and blew over road signs.
October 14, 2025 – At around 13:00 TST, an F0 tornado formed in Meinong District, Kaohsiung. No damages were reported.
12345"102年0406高雄大樹龍捲風事件分析"[Analysis of the 6 April 2013 Kaohsiung Dashu Tornado Incident](PDF). Department of Atmospheric Sciences. National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction. 2007 年 4 月 18 日凌晨於臺南安定、善化、新市及大內等地之龍捲風致災事件，則為歷年來持續時間最久（約 40 分鐘）且路徑最長（約 40 公里）之案例[The tornado that struck Tainan's Anding, Shanhua, Xinshi, and Danei areas in the early morning of April 18, 2007, was the longest-lasting (approximately 40 minutes) and longest-pathed (approximately 40 kilometers) tornado in recent years.]
12"【錯誤】網傳多影片「昨天下午屏東里港龍捲風」？". Taiwan FactCheck Center (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
12345Huang, Wenting. "歷史上的臺灣龍捲風"[Historical tornadoes in Taiwan]. Central Weather Administration. National Taiwan Science Education Center.
1234"堪比災難電影畫面！── 回顧 1904 年突襲臺南的龍捲風"[A scene straight out of a disaster movie! — A look back at the tornado that struck Tainan in 1904]. Central Weather Administration Southern Region Weather Center. 2025-10-14. Retrieved 2026-03-29.
12NOWnews今日新聞 (2023-03-24). "龍捲風台灣也有！「6大觀測紀錄」曝 首次出現在這縣市"[Tornadoes are also in Taiwan! "6 major observation records" revealed, first appeared in this county/city]. NOWnews今日新聞 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2026-03-31.
12陳彥傑 (2019). "歷史極端氣象事件之文史資料跨域研究(1/2)"[Interdisciplinary Research on Historical and Literary Sources of Extreme Weather Events (1/2)]. Chia Nan University of Pharmacy & Science Institutional Repository (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 5 (1).
12Liu, Qinghuang (2013-10-27). "臺灣地區龍捲風發生之大氣環境"[Atmospheric environment of tornadoes in Taiwan]. National Taiwan University (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2026-03-29.
12文/劉清煌. "大氣中最爆裂的份子──龍捲風"[The most explosive phenomenon in the atmosphere – the tornado]. National Taiwan Science Education Center.
↑Lien, Heng. "雅堂文集" [Literary Corpus of Lian Yatang]. Academia Sinica. 3– via The Archives of Institute of Taiwan History. 光緒三年六月初三過午，有旋風起自安平，由南勢街越城入，向北呼嘯而過，當城內人們抬頭望只風行極速，閃爍如銀像龍。[The 3rd day of the 6th lunar month of the 3rd year of Guangxu, around noon, a whirlwind arose from Anping, crossed the city from Nanshi Street, and roared northward. When people in the city looked up, they saw the wind moving extremely fast, flashing like a silver dragon.]
↑"刻接臺灣郵來信息云：四月二十一日晚七點鐘，臺灣府城猝遇旋風；所過處所，如昆陽巨戰，屋瓦皆飛。" [A message from Taiwan arrived shortly after: At 7 PM on April 21st, a whirlwind suddenly struck Taiwan Prefecture; wherever it passed, it was like a massive battle, with rooftops flying off.]. Shen Bao. Vol.7.
↑陳正改 (2013-02-01). "臺灣近一甲子重大天然災害之回顧及探討"[A Retrospect and Discussion on Major Natural Disasters in Taiwan during 1951~2010]. Journal of the Taiwan Disaster Prevention Society. 5 (1): 1–20.
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