What would happen if a nuclear weapon hit Swindon

A clever interactive tool means you no longer need to speculate on what the unthinkable would look like.

Using, a tool developed by outrider.org, you can simulate the effects of a 50,000-kiloton nuclear warhead being dropped in the middle of Swindon town centre.

Nicknamed the ‘Tsar bomb’ the 50,000-kiloton nuclear warhead was the largest weapon ever to be detonated by the Soviet Union.

If the doomsday scenario did happen, the initial fireball would stretch to just under 26sq miles.

Anything in this circle would be obliterated with the fireball burning 10,000 times hotter than the surface of the sun.  

Places which be destroyed in this instance would be: Moredon, Stratton and Old Town along with the other surrounding areas of Swindon. Stretching out to Shaw and Covingham.

Next, would come the shock wave from the blast, which would extend to around 814sq miles from the initial blast site.

As the fireball quickly expands, it forces back the surrounding air, creating a shock wave.

In this radius, the pressure of the shock wave is strong enough to destroy most buildings, except for those that are reinforced. Hurricane-force winds also accompany the shock front, adding to the destruction.

According to Outrider: “The human body can survive a significant pressure jump and high winds, but anyone in this area is likely to be injured or killed by collapsing structures or by wind-blown debris.”

The shockwave effects would be felt as far as Malmesbury to the west and Wantage in Oxfordshire.

To the north, the effects of the shockwave would be felt as far as Aldsworth. Whilst in the the effects of the shockwave would affect Marlborough in the south.

The final wave of the nuclear blast would be a heat wave stretching alarmingly to just under 4221sq miles.

This would catch areas such as Bath, Cheltenham, Oxford, Andover along with villages in the Cotswolds.

Within this radius, materials such as wood, clothing, paper, and plastics would catch fire.

The Outrider site states: "Anyone within this radius would have severe or fatal third-degree burns.

"Even outside this boundary, the heat would still be intense enough to cause first- and second-degree burns."

In total, the Outrider site projects that there would be 257,000 deaths with a further 305,000 people receiving injuries, should a ‘Tsar’ nuclear bomb ever be dropped on Swindon.

Other simulations can be carried out with other nuclear weapons such as 'The Little Boy', the first nuke used in war.

Its effect would be far less catastrophic, but still an almost-unbelievable amount of devastation.

It estimates, 67,800 would die and a further 68,000 would be injured in the blast, swallowing much of the town.

The effect of 'The Little Boy' nuke on Swindon

While it may seem fantastical, it is a considerable concern to many including the Outrider Charity this may happen, who are pushing for Governments and the public alike to deal with this threat, as well as the threat of Climate Change.

"What Happens in a Bomb Blast?" is based on NUKEMAP created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of nuclear weapons and an assistant professor of science and technology studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Data on blast size calculations and associated casualties is provided by Wellerstein's application.