Valletta, Malta tornado

Valletta tornado

File:Siegemaltakl1.jpg The Grand Harbour as it looked in the siege of 1565.
Formed	September 23, 1551 or 1556
Casualties	600 fatalities (estimated)
Areas affected	Grand Harbour, Malta

The Valletta tornado was a tornado that hit the Grand Harbour of Malta on September 23, 1551 or 1556 (sources conflict) with very intense strength. It began as a waterspout killing at least 600 people. At least four of the Order's galleys, named Santa Fè, San Michele, San Filippo and San Claudio, capsized in the tornado.

Despite the tornado's name, Valletta did not exist at the time, as the city's first stone was laid down on 28 March 1566, between ten and fifteen years after the tornado.

See also

• List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks