'Tornado' hits town as severe wind warnings issued across UK

Strong winds are battering the UK after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning.

Londoners walk in heavy rain and wind near Piccadilly Circus, London. Pic: Story Picture Agency/Shutterstock

The warning for wind was issued at 6.25am on Monday morning and covers the whole of England as far north as Cumbria, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is in place until 10pm.

A tornado has appeared to hit a town in Staffordshire, with police saying they attended the scene in Knutton in Newcastle-under-Lyme after strong gusts damaged roofs just before 7.45am. Pictures shared online appeared to show damaged fences and debris scattered across the street.

Debris and an overturned caravan in Knutton, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Pic: PA

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The Met Office said the winds seen this morning had the potential to create tornados.

“The fronts moving southwards this morning had the potential for short-lived tornadoes to develop which could have caused impacts for some,” spokesperson Stephen Dixon told Sky News.

Missing tiles from a roof in Knutton. Pic: PA

“Due to how short-lived these features are, they often aren’t captured by radar imagery so can only be assessed by looking at the evidence on the ground.”

Pic: Met Office

The Met Office website defines a tornado as “a rapidly rotating column of air that reaches between the base of a storm cloud and the Earth’s surface”.

Mr Dixon said gusts of up to 45mph “are likely quite widely”, while exposed coastal areas could see winds of up to 55mph.

“Winds will ease gradually later tonight,” he added.

The Met Office said hail and thunder would spread to all parts of the country during the afternoon.

The forecaster warned windy conditions are likely to cause delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport, as well as a possible short-term loss of power.

It advised those travelling on Monday to check road conditions if driving or public transport timetables and to amend plans if necessary.

Those on the coast should be aware of large waves and take care if walking near cliffs, it added.

The windy conditions forced several bridges, parks and National Trust sites across the UK to close.

Eight flood warnings are in place in England, according to the Environment Agency, along with 61 flood alerts.

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It comes after parts of the UK experienced unusually warm temperatures over the weekend, with 21.8C recorded in Writtle, Essex, on Saturday.

The rest of the week is predicted to be drier and less windy, with showers in northern Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland on Tuesday, but sunny weather elsewhere, especially in the South and east of England.

“Through the rest of the week, we’re likely to see a continued mix of sunshine and showers, with some more persistent rain in the northwest likely on Thursday,” Mr Dixon said.

“However, over the weekend, high pressure will build in from the west and settle down the UK weather, with a reduction in rainfall in general.

“There’s a signal for this high pressure to continue to have an influence on the UK’s weather through next week, which will provide some much-needed dry weather for many areas.”