June 2020 was 'tornado drought,' fewest number of US twisters in nearly 70 years, forecasters say
June 2020 had the fewest number of tornado watches in recorded history with only 6
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After a destructive spring that made 2020 the deadliest year for tornadoes in nine years, an unusually quiet May continued into June, with some record low activity recorded.
The National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) said June 2020 had the fewest number of tornado watches in recorded history with only six recorded for the entire month. The previous record was eight in 2019.
"While severe weather reports were closer to normal in June, the tornado drought continued for another record breaking month," the SPC said on Twitter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TORNADO COUNT IN MAY THE LOWEST IN DECADES AFTER BUSY AND DEADLY APRIL
In terms of preliminary tornadoes, the SPC said there were only 50 reported last month, which was the fewest number since 1952.
"This number could go up once official storm data is published, but it likely will not exceed the 63 total tornadoes from June 1988," the agency said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For those tornadoes that did form, there was only one tornado in June that was a significant twister of EF2 size or greater.
According to the SPC, that was the fewest for the month of June in recorded history since 1950.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Evan Bentley, a severe weather meteorologist at the SPC, said on Twitter that there were more tornadoes on April 12-13, 2020, 140, than for all of May and June 2020, 115.
"Back-to-back months with the fewest tornado watches on record and the fewest sig (significant) tors on record. That is an incredible tornado drought," he tweeted.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Overall, forecasters said that there were 4,044 preliminary severe weather reports last month, which was below the 2010-2019 average of 4,940 reports.
Total severe weather reports for June 2020, which were below the average from 2010 to 2019. (NOAA/SPC)
The one notable event that happened in June was a rare derecho, which tracked from eastern Utah to North Dakota and led to the most 75-plus mph wind gusts in a day since at least 2004.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tornado activity is most likely when strong low-pressure systems pull warm and moist Gulf of Mexico air into the middle of the country.
That, plus the right placement of the jetstream, can cause severe weather outbreaks in the Plains and the Southeast. Those patterns to set up severe weather outbreaks did not happen in May or June.
The number of tornado reports in April 2020 was above average. The opposite happened in May and June. (Fox News)
On average, around 1,200 tornadoes are reported in the U.S. every year, more than any country in the world.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tornadoes kill about 60 people per year on average, mostly from flying or falling debris. But the actual number can vary from single digits to hundreds, according to the SPC.
Fox News' Adam Klotz contributed to this report.