Hector the Convector
@hector-convector.bsky.social
Thunderstorm and volcano enthusiast, and amateaur researcher. I write in Volcanocafé: https://www.volcanocafe.org/
My non-peer reviewed article, which I hope TO turn into a book one day: https://eartharxiv.org/repository/dashboard/7656/
My non-peer reviewed article, which I hope TO turn into a book one day: https://eartharxiv.org/repository/dashboard/7656/
Still investigating the mid-summer 1897 hail outbreak in E France. Information is endless. 151 hail swaths and counting. I've also stumbled upon 4 tornadoes, many wind damage reports, endless lightning accidents and deaths. There was also flooding in S France with (I think 300+) of casualties.
January 21, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Still investigating the mid-summer 1897 hail outbreak in E France. Information is endless. 151 hail swaths and counting. I've also stumbled upon 4 tornadoes, many wind damage reports, endless lightning accidents and deaths. There was also flooding in S France with (I think 300+) of casualties.
An early compilation of French destructive tornadoes, shown in 1897 French news
January 19, 2026 at 7:44 PM
An early compilation of French destructive tornadoes, shown in 1897 French news
This is the SP that produced the 1995 L'Orxa hailstorm. Developed in only 45 km/h 0-5.5 km wind shear, and producing 33 min of rain and hail up to 320 g in L'Orxa it's an example of low-shear supercells that are common in Spain, likely thanks to complicated topography. meteologix.com/es/satellite...
January 16, 2026 at 6:27 PM
This is the SP that produced the 1995 L'Orxa hailstorm. Developed in only 45 km/h 0-5.5 km wind shear, and producing 33 min of rain and hail up to 320 g in L'Orxa it's an example of low-shear supercells that are common in Spain, likely thanks to complicated topography. meteologix.com/es/satellite...
Reposted by Hector the Convector
Reposted by Hector the Convector
"I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."
-Albert Einstein, c.1949
-Albert Einstein, c.1949
January 8, 2026 at 9:42 PM
"I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."
-Albert Einstein, c.1949
-Albert Einstein, c.1949
The frightful finale of the 1897 outbreak was on July 2, when three cells taking over each other or maybe a single cyclic supercell doing two jumps to the SE carved a path of colossal hail across at least three departments:
January 8, 2026 at 6:41 PM
The frightful finale of the 1897 outbreak was on July 2, when three cells taking over each other or maybe a single cyclic supercell doing two jumps to the SE carved a path of colossal hail across at least three departments:
The places hit by large hail during the 1897 French supercell outbreak that I've mapped so far:
January 8, 2026 at 6:09 PM
The places hit by large hail during the 1897 French supercell outbreak that I've mapped so far:
Still investigating the 1897 French great large hail outbreak. Four departments down. Unfortunately Puy-de-Dome's reporting quality is not holding up, but still one can get a good idea.
January 7, 2026 at 8:21 AM
Still investigating the 1897 French great large hail outbreak. Four departments down. Unfortunately Puy-de-Dome's reporting quality is not holding up, but still one can get a good idea.
I've been looking a bit into the European large hail outbreak of around 30 June, 1897. Really impressive, raged across UK, France, Germany, Tunisia, and probably others. Seems bigger, better recorded that any Spanish hail outbreaks I've read of. This is the Puy-de-Dome department alone:
January 5, 2026 at 7:51 PM
I've been looking a bit into the European large hail outbreak of around 30 June, 1897. Really impressive, raged across UK, France, Germany, Tunisia, and probably others. Seems bigger, better recorded that any Spanish hail outbreaks I've read of. This is the Puy-de-Dome department alone:
Reposted by Hector the Convector
#volcan #volcano #OlDoynioLengai 🇹🇿 L’émission de carbonatite se poursuit formant un énorme spatter-cone ,visible sur ces images faites début décembre 2025/Carbonatites emissions are ongoing,building a enormous spatter-cone,as shown on these pictures made early 12/2025 youtu.be/QE8gk2c1akY?...
Ol Doinyo Lengai Le volcan en noir et blanc
YouTube video by Olivier Grunewald
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 8:00 AM
#volcan #volcano #OlDoynioLengai 🇹🇿 L’émission de carbonatite se poursuit formant un énorme spatter-cone ,visible sur ces images faites début décembre 2025/Carbonatites emissions are ongoing,building a enormous spatter-cone,as shown on these pictures made early 12/2025 youtu.be/QE8gk2c1akY?...
Reposted by Hector the Convector
Global #Tornado map for 2025- a devastating and deadly year across the world!
Only tornadoes with mapped paths (by me or by official orgs) are included, single point tornadoes (ones which I cannot map using satellite or damage reports) may be added in a later update!
#WxSky #weather
Only tornadoes with mapped paths (by me or by official orgs) are included, single point tornadoes (ones which I cannot map using satellite or damage reports) may be added in a later update!
#WxSky #weather
December 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Hector the Convector
So you may or may not have jus heard this surprise news:The ESSL (who maintains the European Severe Weather database) has just rated two historical #tornadoes IF5:
1884 Catania (IT)
1927 Neede (NL)
Both were originally rated IF4 but were upgraded following analysis of damage images
#WxSky #weather
1884 Catania (IT)
1927 Neede (NL)
Both were originally rated IF4 but were upgraded following analysis of damage images
#WxSky #weather
December 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
So you may or may not have jus heard this surprise news:The ESSL (who maintains the European Severe Weather database) has just rated two historical #tornadoes IF5:
1884 Catania (IT)
1927 Neede (NL)
Both were originally rated IF4 but were upgraded following analysis of damage images
#WxSky #weather
1884 Catania (IT)
1927 Neede (NL)
Both were originally rated IF4 but were upgraded following analysis of damage images
#WxSky #weather
Reposted by Hector the Convector
[1/2] Another country gets its own #tornado database thanks to the talented researcher Firdaus et al. We now have a tornado data set compiling historical instances of tornadoes in Indonesia, from 1815 to today. Best part is it's CC 4.0 so it's completely free to access and reuse. #WxSky #weather
November 27, 2025 at 5:36 AM
A new volcano piece, one I enjoyed making. The LARGEST volcanic eruptions: www.volcanocafe.org/largest-expl...
Largest explosive eruptions, from 1900 to 1500 AD.
After the recent developments of Iwo-Jima volcano, I’ve grown interested in whether submarine calderas are capable, or not, of producing substantial stratospheric sulfur injections, also in t…
www.volcanocafe.org
October 12, 2025 at 8:30 AM
A new volcano piece, one I enjoyed making. The LARGEST volcanic eruptions: www.volcanocafe.org/largest-expl...
Forgot to post my last volcano article, this time a joint effort with Albert and Tallis:
www.volcanocafe.org/crisis-on-io...
www.volcanocafe.org/crisis-on-io...
Crisis on Ioto
Introduction (Albert) Iwo Jima is famous. The battle between the US and Japanese forces are well remembered – by both sides. Before the war, about 1000 people lived here. After the war, none.…
www.volcanocafe.org
September 21, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Forgot to post my last volcano article, this time a joint effort with Albert and Tallis:
www.volcanocafe.org/crisis-on-io...
www.volcanocafe.org/crisis-on-io...
My last volcanocafe article. About the stuff of dreams and nightmares, caldera volcanoes!
www.volcanocafe.org/a-geomorphol...
www.volcanocafe.org/a-geomorphol...
A geomorphology dive into caldera systems (calderas on the surface)
Figuring out the eruption history of Afar volcanoes is taking longer than I expected, so in the meantime, I will have to post about other topics. And lately, one that has been present in my volcano…
www.volcanocafe.org
September 3, 2025 at 9:13 PM
My last volcanocafe article. About the stuff of dreams and nightmares, caldera volcanoes!
www.volcanocafe.org/a-geomorphol...
www.volcanocafe.org/a-geomorphol...
This is my first really successful public transport storm chase. Location is Letux, Spain. I nearly got hit by a supercell that produced very large hail earlier on. Instead I was hit by the flanking line gust front, grazed by the RFD and gifted with some stunning clouds.
August 27, 2025 at 5:57 PM
This is my first really successful public transport storm chase. Location is Letux, Spain. I nearly got hit by a supercell that produced very large hail earlier on. Instead I was hit by the flanking line gust front, grazed by the RFD and gifted with some stunning clouds.
The damage scale was meant for this. For a long time I wanted to distill my extensive Spain large hail data into something more usable, using a record more continuous over the decades, province capitals only. Two years ago I would have never guessed how ghastly the 1890s, and how variable it's been.
July 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The damage scale was meant for this. For a long time I wanted to distill my extensive Spain large hail data into something more usable, using a record more continuous over the decades, province capitals only. Two years ago I would have never guessed how ghastly the 1890s, and how variable it's been.
Some stuff I've been working on. The first is a hail weight scale, based on hailstone weight reports in historic newspapers (the lowest weight for which certain types of damage is reported). It uses some 800 Spanish and 400 French hailstorms, and is best applied to Europe for pre-1980 times.
July 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Some stuff I've been working on. The first is a hail weight scale, based on hailstone weight reports in historic newspapers (the lowest weight for which certain types of damage is reported). It uses some 800 Spanish and 400 French hailstorms, and is best applied to Europe for pre-1980 times.
I've made this map with the age of Harrat Rahat volcanic cones based on their erosion degree. Purple (south) is older, red (north) is youngest. The volcanic range has the length of the Netherlands! And shows amazing age progression. #volcano
May 30, 2025 at 10:40 PM
I've made this map with the age of Harrat Rahat volcanic cones based on their erosion degree. Purple (south) is older, red (north) is youngest. The volcanic range has the length of the Netherlands! And shows amazing age progression. #volcano
Here I'm writing about Afar volcanoes, trying to decipher their eruption history: www.volcanocafe.org/afar-holocen...
Afar Holocene volcanoes I: Volcanoes in an ancient lake.
After Albert’s explanation of Afar’s volcanic and tectonic past, I will look into this region’s Holocene volcanism, and try to create the first comprehensive volcanic history of this very uns…
www.volcanocafe.org
February 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Here I'm writing about Afar volcanoes, trying to decipher their eruption history: www.volcanocafe.org/afar-holocen...
Earthquakes in Kolumbo volcano (Greece) have been propagating along a rift zone to the NE of the volcano, so it appears what we are seeing is a massive dike intrusion to the NE, like a huge blade of molten rock that extends horizontally and splits open the rock.
February 2, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Earthquakes in Kolumbo volcano (Greece) have been propagating along a rift zone to the NE of the volcano, so it appears what we are seeing is a massive dike intrusion to the NE, like a huge blade of molten rock that extends horizontally and splits open the rock.
Kolumbo volcano in Greece is having some serious earthquakes. It's a dangerous volcano known for its deadly 1650 eruption that sent pyroclastic flows to nearby Santori, and triggered a local but quite tall tsunami wave.
www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/gma...
www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/gma...
Real-time seismogram from station: THERA
www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr
February 1, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Kolumbo volcano in Greece is having some serious earthquakes. It's a dangerous volcano known for its deadly 1650 eruption that sent pyroclastic flows to nearby Santori, and triggered a local but quite tall tsunami wave.
www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/gma...
www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/gma...
So to put it into a map, here is Spain's tornado distribution. Three tornado domains born out of two different seas and a complex topography of mountain ranges over the interior.
January 29, 2025 at 1:35 PM
So to put it into a map, here is Spain's tornado distribution. Three tornado domains born out of two different seas and a complex topography of mountain ranges over the interior.