PhOtOs-Freak Tornadoes Strike Across Britain
 

Attack of the Tiniest Twisters: Freak Tornadoes Strike Across Britain
- Ripping off Roof Tiles, Destroying Greenhouses... and Sending Garden Furniture Flying

• Two minute twister hit village of Binegar, near Wells, on Friday afternoon
• Resident Mark Davis said roof, garage and greenhouse were all damaged
• But the freak weather was not the only potential tornado reported today
• There are also claims of a mini-twister hitting Newport, South Wales
  

Daily Mail UK, 29 May 2015

Forget the rain: freak tornadoes have wreaked havoc across Britain - destroying greenhouses, ripping off roof tiles and sending the odd bin flying after striking in at least two locations.


Tornadoes were reported to have hit in Somerset and South Wales this afternoon, although the Met Office hasn't been able to confirm either.

That's not to say the residents of a Newport neighbourhood and the village of Binegar were not victims of two of the 30-odd tornadoes which take place in the UK each year.

However, they certainly weren't quite as ferocious as the twisters which streak across America.


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Freak weather: Mark Spencer with a sun lounger which blew into his garden during a 'mini-tornado' in Wales

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Expense: Mark Davis, of Somerset, said damage had been done to his roof, garage and greenhouse

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Damage: Mr Davis' home also lost a number of roof tiles when the twister hit in Somerset


In Binegar, villager Mark Davis said damage had been done to his roof, garage and greenhouse in the freak event, which lasted just a couple of minutes.

'I've never seen anything like it,' said the 43-year-old, who estimated the repair costs would sit around the £2,000 mark.
'It made a deafening noise. I thought it was thunder and lightning to start with.

'The sky went very dark and it started pouring with rain.
'Some of my neighbours took cover indoors as debris was flying everywhere.'

In Newport, things sounded a little more sedate.
Janine Spencer told MailOnline.:

'I was getting my baby changed to go out and I heard the rain pick up and then saw it was swirling.
'It was very quick, but when I went outside afterwards, you could see debris blown around, such as the bins all knocked over.'


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Destruction: Gary Wilding's roof was torn off in South Wales, destroying part of his garden

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Chaos: Richard Marshall's garden was damaged by tiles coming off his neighbour's roof


However, there were also reports of roofs being ripped off, with the tiles flying into people's gardens.
The Met Office tonight said it had a report of the mini-tornado in Newport, and been told about a funnel cloud in the south east.

However, without video evidence it is very hard to confirm such events, meteorologist Simon Partridge told MailOnline.
But it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

'There was definite potential there - we've had some very gusty winds and squally showers,' Mr Partirdge said.