At a Glance
- Storms sent nearly two dozen people to the hospital.
- At least 100 homes were damaged.
- A tornado was also spotted in Amsterdam.
A tornado on Friday ripped across the southern part of Luxembourg, damaging homes and injuring several people.
A tornado was also reported in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The storm caused major damage in the Luxembourg town of Pétange, where the mayor told the Luxembourg Times that roofs had been ripped off of about 100 homes.
Seven people were taken to the hospital, at least one with serious injuries, the news outlet reported.
Photos posted to social media showed extensive damage.
Mayor Pierre Mellina said officials were arranging hotel rooms and other accommodations for those displaced by the storm. The government had also activated a crisis response team and a French rescue unit had arrived to provide assistance.
Tornadoes are unusual but not unheard of in the small European country of only about 600,000 people, sandwiched between Germany, Belgium and France. A cold front moving across Europe brought thunderstorms to the region that spawned the tornado, weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles said.
Photos and videos posted from Amsterdam showed a brief tornado. While the storm surprised residents, there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.
Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson said tornado observations in Europe have become more reliable and numerous in recent years. A 2014 study based on the European Severe Weather Database shows an average of 300 to 400 tornadoes a year since reliable records began in 2006, Henson said.
The most frequent month for European tornadoes is July, with June and August running second.
In Germany, 15 members of a soccer team sustained minor injuries by a lightning strike.
