After an unusual number of storms in the Urals in the early 1990s and with the global warming over the past hundred years, there were fears of increasing storm frequency in this region. This study investigates meteorological data and aspects of windthrow in the Central and Southern Ural. The meteorological data were collected from 4 political regions: Penn and Baskortostan west of the Urals, and Sverdlovsk and Tschelyabinsk to the east. Temperature data for 1888 - 1996 were analysed, as well as storm frequency for 1946 - 1996, and windthrow events for 1965 - 1996. Windthrow data for an area of more than 20 million ha within 3 of the regions were analysed. Mean January temperatures at several meteorological stations show a rise of 2-4 K, but neither the annual number of storms nor their mean wind speed increased. Only a few forest enterprises suffered windthrow on more than I% of their total area. Most of the windthrown trees were of medium height and diameter. With two exceptions none of the storms greatly altered the structure of the forests.