GORGEOUS TORNADO OBSERVED NEAR HAMBURG -BRAMFELD, GERMANY A FEW HOURS AGO! (credit: Benjamin Kempkes via Meteo Europe)

DISCUSSION: As severe thunderstorm erupted across parts of Western Europe earlier today, some of these more discrete convective storms (i.e., storms which were more isolated with respect to the majority of the convective storms moving through the region) moved into an environment defined by stronger vertical wind shear (i.e., changes in the strength and/or direction of the winds with height) and particularly high convective instability.  As a result of these changing environmental conditions, storms such as this one developed strong, rotating updrafts capable of producing tornadoes as happened with the storm captured below courtesy of Benjamin Kempkes.  Note how the condensation funnel is so crystal-clear in this particular storm with a weak presence of rainshafts dancing around the funnel a bit!  A very photogenic tornadic storm to say the least! To learn more about other high-impact weather from across Europe, be sure to click here!