Fewest June Tornado Watches Issued In Recorded History
After an unusually quiet May in terms of tornado activity across the United States, June 2020 followed suit by hitting some record lows.
In June, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued the fewest tornado watches in recorded history (1970-present). In the month of June, only 6 tornado watches were issued, followed by the 8 that were issued in June 2019.
Another record that is going down in the books is the fewest June tornadoes since 1952, and the fewest June significant (EF2+) tornadoes in recorded history. In the month of June, there was only 1 significant tornado, an EF2 twister that touched down in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, northwest of Pittsburgh on June 10.
Severe weather as a whole experienced a lull last month, the NWS said. During the month of June, there were 4,044 total preliminary severe weather reports throughout the country, compared to the 2018-19 average of 4,940.
While the number of tornadoes was low the past two months, tornado reports generally have been rising in the U.S. Some experts believe the rise in reports is due to growth in technology use and the population growth of the nation. Previously, tornadoes and severe weather were underreported due to a lack of documentation. As a result, tornado reports have grown 20 percent over the last 40 years and 10 percent over the past 20 years.
