UK's three 'Tornado Alleys' where you're most likely to be hit by whirlwinds

18 October 2023 , 19:15

1128     0

UK's three 'Tornado Alleys' where you're most likely to be hit by whirlwinds

Brits have been warned that tornadoes are surprisingly common in the UK which has three “alleys” where they strike most often.

The country is preparing for strong winds and heavy rain from Storm Babet with a rare red warning in place over “fast flowing or deep floodwater”. It may come as a shock to many who think that the UK generally has mild weather conditions that it does see a large number of tornadoes.

Only last month a small tornado hit Littehampton, in West Sussex, with buildings and cars damaged which was put down to a sudden change in wind direction during thunderstorms that led to the funnel cloud. The strong winds and heavy rain provide the ideal conditions for this to become a tiny tornado, the Met Office told the Mirror at the time.

A tornado that struck in Rosewell, Midlothian, in 2022 (Malcosaurus/Twitter)

For many, think of tornadoes and you imagine the United States’ mid-West with places like Kansas. But they are common in the UK even if they are smaller and weaker.

In fact as a country there are more in the UK than in the US, taken as a whole per kilometre squared. Prof David Schultz of Manchester University, said that there are three “tornado alleys” in the UK which are in the south of England and the weather features can occur at any time during the year.

Met Office says UK will be battered by monster rain storm with 4 inches falling

A tornado seen at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, in October, 2022 (PA)

He stated: “Whereas many tornadoes in the US plains occur within a few weeks during the spring, UK tornadoes can occur throughout the year. The UK’s tornado alley is really three regions, most in southern England: an area south of a line between Reading and London with a maximum near Guildford, locations southwest of Ipswich and a line west and south of Birmingham.

“These regions have probabilities of experiencing a tornado within a 100 square km area of somewhere between 3% and 6% per year, meaning they could see one as often as every 15 to 30 years.”

He did point out that the tornadoes in the UK aren’t as violent as those that hit the US but still can cause plenty of damage such as that which struck Birmingham in 2005. There were 39 people injured on that occasion and the tornado caused around £40 million of damage.

The tornado that hit Birmingham in 2005 (Birmingham Post And Mail)

Then there was also a severe tornado that struck south Wales in 1913 that led to three people dying. And among the many others there was a tornado in Rosewell, Midlothian, Scotland in 2022. On social media, a person posted a video of it passing Rosewell, and wrote: "Never seen anything like it. It went right by our house. The video doesn't capture how intense it was."

Others shared their surprise, with one writing: "Never seen a tornado before in Midlothian" while another tweeted: "Tornado in Midlothian. Crazy weather." The most tornadoes that have broken out on the same day was on November 23, 1981, when there were 104 reported from Anglesey to Norwich.

Tim Hanlon