Valletta, Malta tornado

Valletta tornado

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 Grand Harbour of Malta tornado (possibly 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.

The city of 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.