Conferences


TORRO hosts bi-annual conferences, usually in April and October, at Oxford Brookes University. The first conference was held in 1985, and various presentations are given on all aspects of weather, especially severe weather. In the Spring conference, TORRO staff present annual reviews of the previous year's severe weather, and severe weather forecasts. We welcome suggestions for future talks - if you'd like to present or have an idea get in touch!


FREE IN-PERSON ONLY

TORRO Special 50th Anniversary Conference 2024

Saturday 5th October

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) invites you to their Autumn Conference 2024. The conference will be in-person/live. Entry is free and all are welcome. Advance registration is required (see below).

Location: Meadow Suite, Park House, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6UA.
Please note the change in location compared with most other TORRO conferences.

Registration desk opens at 09:30, refreshment facilities are available nearby on campus. Parking is free, with several car parks close to the venue. We will supply a parking permit to those who request one.

Presentations

10:00 - 10:10
Welcome to the conference and introductions
Paul Knightley (DTN and Head of TORRO)
10:10 - 10:55
Half a century of TORRO (1974-2024) in words and pictures
Presented by the Tornado & Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) Team
10:55 - 11:30
The TCO, TORRO and 100 years of Thunderstorm reporting: some epic thunderstorm episodes
Jonathan Webb (TORRO Thunderstorm Division)
11:30 - 11:45
SHORT BREAK
Tea/coffee available
11:45 - 12:20
Severe storms of 9 July 2024 across the Benelux countries
Lars Lowinski (WetterOnline)
12:20 - 13:00
Rapid Fire Presentations
(a) The TORRO Era: severe events 1974-1999 (including severe hailstorms of the 1970s and 1980s)   Jonathan Webb (TORRO)
(b) the November 1981 tornado outbreak   Mike Rowe (TORRO)
(c) the severe thunderstorms of 7 June 1996   Paul Knightley (DTN and TORRO)
(d) the Selsey Tornado of 7 January 1998   Peter Matthews (TORRO)
13:00 - 14:15
LUNCH BREAK
Basic refreshment facilities nearby – e.g. café on the campus is open all day. An opportunity to talk to other participants and to show your weather-related photos and to make new contacts. Plus the TORRO poster displays
14:15 - 15:00
Celebrating TORRO’s History – Awards, Achievements and Dedications
15:00 - 15:45
The remarkable Jersey tornado and hailstorm of 1 November 2023
Sarah Horton (TORRO) and Matt Clark (Met Office and TORRO)
15:45 - 16:00
SHORT BREAK
Tea/coffee available
16:00 - 16:30
Rapid Fire Presentations
(a) The TORRO Era: 2000-2024 (including the Birmingham tornado of 28 July 2005)   Peter Kirk (Met Office and TORRO)
(b) the Boscastle storm of 16 August 2004   Rob Doe (University of Liverpool and TORRO)
(c) the Midlands supercells of 28 June 2012   Paul Knightley (DTN and TORRO)
(d) the Stalybridge tornado of 27 December 2023   Kay Morrison (University of Reading and TORRO)
16:30
Conference closes
17:00
As usual, informal after-conference food, drink and discussions available at either the nearby Queens Head or Reading University campus pubs. All are welcome!

Registration

Please fill in and submit the form below with your name and email address, and the names of any others who are attending with you in the "Additional notes" box.

Full name *


 Email address *


Additional notes (including any other guests and their email addresses)

TORRO is obliged by law to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). For the purposes of organising TORRO conferences and meetings we will hold your name and contact details as secure digital records. Your submission of these details is taken as explicit agreement that we may continue to do so. We will not use your details for other purposes without your explicit permission and will not pass them onto third parties. If, at anytime, you wish to know exactly what personal details we do hold and/or wish them to be deleted or changed in any way then you may contact: membership@torro.org.uk.