1876 Bowen tornado

The 1876 Bowen tornado was a violent and exceptionally short lived tornado that remains the strongest tornado in Australian history, as being the only one to be rated F5 on the Fujita scale.^[2][b] The tornado was incorrectly marked to strike Brisbane by the Bureau of Meteorology,^[3] but was said in local newspapers that tornadic damage was dealt in Bowen.^[4] The tornado had estimated wind speeds of over 420 km/h (260 mph), was reported to kill one person,^[5] injure numerous people and deal £7,000 worth of damage, equivalent to £1.05 million (GBP) and $2.05 million (AUD) today when adjusted for inflation.^[4] The Bowen tornado also remains the first tornado to be rated F5 outside of Europe.

On 16 February 1876 at 9:00 pm,^[1] a distant roar was heard, resembling constant thunder–that same roar continued to get louder as the storm approached Bowen. Eventually, a violent but short-lived tornado struck the town; one that had a reported lifespan of a mere 30 seconds.^[2] This funnel would go on and obliterate a hotel, a brick shop, dwelling and bakery. The tornado's damage was documented so well that the Bureau of Meteorology would rate it F5; placing the tornado's estimated wind speed of at least 420 km/h (260 mph). The approximate path length of the tornado is 5 km (3.1 mi), though the tornado's true path length would be much shorter.

A dozen homes, a hotel, a brick shop, dwelling and bakery were all destroyed. The floor of a house with a man inside was driven 7 feet (2.1 m) into a lock-up fence; without injury. A hospital in the town was also destroyed, where multiple injuries would take place. A store was shifted on its foundation; with its veranda being blown away, as well as a portion of a boarding house. A hotel was also blown away, with a few cottages being considerably damaged. The walls of the Lands Office buckled and the roof fell inside, destroying a considerable amount of furniture. Another house was shifted off its supports, and carried approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) before being set down, remaining somewhat intact. It was also reported that a horse was killed after a flying sheet of iron cut it in two.^[5] By the end, only three houses remained standing in the town.^[6] Overall, one person lost their life, numerous people would be injured and £7,000 of damage was dealt; equivalent to £1.05 million (GBP) and $2.05 million (AUD) today when adjusted for inflation.^[4]

• 1992 Bucca tornado, another powerful tornado in Queensland
• Bulahdelah tornado, a devastating tornado in New South Wales
• List of Australian tornadoes
• History of Bowen