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The '''Bulahdelah Tornado''' was an intense [[tornado]] which occurred near the town of [[Bulahdelah]] ({{Convertconvert|100|km|mi|1}} north-northeast of [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]]), [[New South Wales]] on 1 January 1970, and is thought to be the most destructive tornado ever documented in [[Australia]],<ref name="BoM">{{cite web|title=Stormy Weather: A century of storms, fire, flood and drought in New South Wales|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/facts/stormy-weather.pdf|work=[[Bureau of Meteorology (Australia)|Bureau of Meteorology]]|accessdate=19 April 2017}}</ref> however, no official rating has been made public.<ref>{{cite web |title = Tornadoes of Australia and New Zealand |url = http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/storm/tornadoes-aunzea.htm |publisher = The Weather Doctor |accessdate = 5 April 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title=23 September 2003: Australian thunderstorm climatology
}}</ref>
The tornado left a damage path {{Convertconvert|22|km|mi|0}} long and {{convert|1.6 |km (1 |mi)|abbr=on}} wide through the Bulahdelah State Forest.<ref name="BoM"/> It is estimated that the tornado destroyed over one million trees.<ref name="BoM"/> A caravan was destroyed and a 2-tonne (2,000 kg) tractor was lifted into the air, landing upside down. From damage analysis, the storm was believed to be an F4 and possibly an F5 in strength. The tornado was reported by witnesses as a swirling black cloud surrounded by flying debris, and producing a thunderous roaring sound.<ref>{{cite web |title = Bulahdelah Tornado Report |url = http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/1970/bulahdelah_tornado_report.pdf |work = Bureau of Meteorology |date= April 1985 |author=Shanahan, B |accessdate = 10 February 2012}}</ref> The weather system that produced the tornado was a classic set-up for violent tornadoes, something somewhat rarely seen outside of the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Argentina]], [[Bangladesh]], and adjacent areas of [[India]].{{citation needed|date=February 2012}}
== See also ==
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulahdelah Tornado}}
[[Category:1970 disasters in Australia]]
[[Category:Tornadoes of 1970]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Australia]]
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