Weather tracker: Wisconsin battered by rare tornado and meteotsunami

Unusual atmospheric phenomenon causes widespread damage in US state, while heat continues to grip Europe

A rare and powerful tornado developed over north-east Wisconsin on Monday, lasting 26 minutes and carving a 12-mile path of destruction in western parts of Appleton and Menasha before dissipating over Lake Winnebago.

The US National Weather Service classified the tornado as an EF3, making it the fourth of that strength to strike Wisconsin in 2026. EF3 tornadoes are relatively rare in north-east Wisconsin, and this year’s total is already the state’s highest since 1984.

Despite widespread damage and several homes being destroyed, only a few injuries were reported. This is partly because the tornado struck during the afternoon, when people were at work.

Another rare weather phenomenon was reported nearby on Lake Winnebago: a meteotsunami. Unlike ordinary sea or lake waves, meteotsunamis are caused primarily not by the wind but by air pressure disturbances, usually associated with severe thunderstorms.

These disturbances generate waves with much longer wavelengths than those caused by wind, lasting from minutes to hours, rather than seconds, making them comparable to those produced by ocean tsunamis. The meteotsunami caused water levels on Lake Winnebago to fall by about 60cm (2ft) before surging back.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, two powerful tropical cyclones rapidly intensified in the past week. Hurricane Genevieve strengthened into a category 5 in the eastern Pacific on Monday, while Typhoon Dolphin developed into a super typhoon on Thursday.

Genevieve, which has since tracked north-westwards and weakened, is not expected to make landfall as a tropical system. Dolphin is forecast to turn on to a more westerly trajectory during the weekend, with landfall possible between southern Japan and Taiwan.

Much of Europe continues to endure a prolonged spell of hot, dry weather , with little sign of relief over the coming week. The focus of the heat is expected to shift eastwards this weekend, with parts of Austria, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina forecast to reach temperatures of about 40C (104F) – more than 10C above the climatological average.