31 January 2024 , 13:58
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'Isolated' tornados could be about to strike the UK as weather experts issued an urgent warning to at-risk Brits.
Torro, which monitors tornado activity, said: “One or two brief tornadoes cannot be ruled out, given the intense low-level shear, especially over north and west Scotland." A wider severe weather warning for storm winds is also in place until 5pm today for a large area covering Scotland, Northern Ireland and some parts of northern England.
High winds are likely to reach speeds of 60-80mph over parts of north and west Scotland, and 50-60mph elsewhere, with a low risk of 70mph in "one or two spots", the forecasters added.
A severe weather warning for storm winds is in place until 5pm todayAround 30 tornadoes a year are reported in the UK, according to the Met Office. These are typically small and short-lived, but can cause structural damage if they pass over built-up areas. Tornados form as a rapidly rotating column of air which reaches between the base of a storm cloud and the Earth's surface
Last week, residents across The Wirral in Merseyside, claimed the area experienced a "mini tornado" as winds raged throughout the night. CCTV taken at The Grange in the town of Moreton shows lights rattling in the pub garden, and an ornament is seen rolling along the ground in the clip. People in the region reported how car alarms started going off in the street as rain poured down onto people's windows, making what was described as a "horrendous" noise.
At least seven dead as devastating twisters rip through several US states
The most powerful ever recorded in the UK is a F4 strength tornado which struck Portsmouth in 1810, where wind speeds reached a reported 240mph. While tornados can form around the world, North America is the continent where they occur most regularly and with the most ferocity. They are not regarded by Met Office as a major weather threat in the UK.