Terrifying moment tornado caught on CCTV smashing through quiet UK street

28 December 2023 , 21:24

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The terrifying moment a tornado ripped through a UK town has been caught on camera.

More than 100 homes were damaged in Stalybridge in Tameside, Greater Manchester as the 'mini tornado' wreaked having in the early hours of this morning. Residents needed to be evacuated and the council spoke of a "major incident" after the event, the Manchester Evening News reports. The storm was categorised as a 'T5', which means wind speeds vary from 137mph to 160mph, and it was said to be the strongest to hit the UK in seventeen years.

Footage on CCTV cameras in the home of Craig and Karen Sanderson reveals the moment the tornado hit, with debris pictured flying through the air. The pair were not present at the time, however they returned to see their detached home devastated and car poorly damaged. The video reveals the roof tile piercing the bonnet of the couple's BMW car.

Craig said: "We were away in Whitby for a couple of nights and one of our neighbours called us just after it happened at midnight to let us know what the damage was. They told us our roof was a mess and we had a big hole in the front of our car from one of the tiles that came down. We packed up early doors and made our way home.

"We came back and the house was in wrack and ruin. We have severe roof damage - we have lost 50 to 60 tiles at the front and back of the house. The car is damaged, the bonnet, all down the side, the windscreen. The hole in the bonnet you can out your fist through it.

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"On the CCTV one full tile came down and hit the bonnet. We have a little balcony on the top floor of the house and there is some small furniture up there - a few chairs and a table. One of the chairs was in someone's back garden 15 doors down the street."

This is the moment a tornado tore through Stalybridge in Tameside (handout)

Craig has a five-bedroom home in Swinshaw Road, Stalybridge, and he added: "It is a bit freaky. Our home is in the epicentre of where all the damage was caused. The housing estate where we are, there are only 60 houses and probably 50 per cent of them are damaged. I have been filling out my insurance form writing 'tornado', I never thought I would write that word in my life. The house to the left of us was severely damaged as well.

"It is a bit bizarre, we live on a little housing estate but some houses are seriously damaged and others have just a couple of tiles missing. The footage from the CCTV showed garden furniture spinning around and when we looked closely you could see our shed being shaken. The fencing is broken on both sides. We have a dent in the tarmac driveway too. I suppose the thing to be thankful for is that no one was injured in the entire area."

It took trees to be uprooted, cars damaged, wind to be blown off tiles and chimneys off roofs across the town, before a "major incident" was announced by the emergency services. The tornado hit before midnight yesterday in multiple locations in the town, with Hough Hill Road the worst affected.

Residents had to be evacuated and the council declared a 'major incident' following the event (handout)

The couple were away at the time but returned to find their detached home and car badly damaged (handout)

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) has made a site visit and, on Thursday afternoon, said that Staylbridge was hit by a tornado with a provisional maximum damage rating of T5, which sees winds of 137 to 160 mph. The category would result in cars levitating, entire roofs being removed, items sucked from inside houses - like furniture - utility poles snapping, and older weaker buildings collapsing completely.

They added in a post on X it would be the strongest tornado to hit the UK since Kensal Rise in 2006. In a new statement issued at 5.15pm, Cllr Ged Cooney, Executive Leader of Tameside Council, said: “We are now in the recovery phase following the step down of a major incident declared last night when a ‘mini tornado’ hit Stalybridge.

"Thankfully there are no casualties from the incident but there are of course local residents who are devastated by the damage caused to their homes. With around 100 homes affected, the council is working to support residents, making sure they have a safe place to stay while they cannot re-enter their homes.

"Our temporary rest centre has now been stood down and residents have been advised to contact their insurance companies as appropriate. Our officers have been out all night and continue to be out today clearing debris, fallen trees and making roads, footpaths and other areas safe as soon as possible.

"I’d like to thank our emergency services and council officers for all their continued work. The local community have also been so generous in offering their support and we never fail to see a true sense of community spirit and support in situations like these. I am proud of the combined efforts and the ongoing support."

The Liberal Democrats have also called on the Prime Minister to convene an emergency COBRA meeting after the tornado. The party's transport spokesperson, Wera Hobhouse MP, said: "Hundreds of lives have been thrown into chaos with homes destroyed straight after Christmas. It’s devastating. Rishi Sunak needs to call an urgent COBRA meeting to ensure a swift, robust recovery plan so those affected can begin rebuilding their lives. Any delay could have a devastating impact on families already displaced whose lives have been turned upside down by this tornado.”