Credit: PA:Press Association
The UK is claimed to get more tornadoes per square kilometre than any other country in the world.
On average about 30 tornadoes are reported in the UK each year, although these are generally weak with 95per cent classed as F0-F1, up to 112MPH.
Research by the University of Manchester has shown that May to October is tornado season for the UK with the most prone regions the south, south east and west.
It’s Possible! Back in 2005, a Tornado struck parts of Birmingham and although only lasting 8 short minutes it managed to cause a huge £40 Million worth of damage!
You may think that it’s a long time ago, well this Dashcam footage shows a tornado as it crosses the M25 near Chertsey in Surrey, picking up debris in its path and forcing cars to pull over on 22 December 2019, not so long ago.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWs1OtgMOuc[/embedyt]
This week Storm Brendan is set to batter the UK with winds of up to 80 mph & it seems that these kinds of freak weather storms are becoming more and more common.
Should you be worried?
Quite honestly, yes! If you live in parts of the UK such as coastal areas or areas which are very open and susceptible to winds during the least violent weather conditions. The map below shows averages of where the worst parts of the UK are for wind speeds.
Some of the areas which have been warned the most are Liverpool and Northern Ireland which as you can see from the map have pretty strong coverage of wind most of the time and can expect very strong winds especially during this storm.
How to prepare?
If a tornado is approaching then the most important step is to find shelter as soon as you can in an area of the house or building that has no windows or doors, as flying debris is poses the most risk during the storm.
Once you have found shelter, you should cover yourself with items such as heavy blankets, a mattress or a sleeping bag.
Avoid taking shelter under areas where heavy objects rest on the floor above as they can fall through a weakened floor, as well as under overpasses or bridges.
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How do they form?
According to National Geographic, they form like this “The most intense tornadoes emerge from what are called supercell thunderstorms. For such a storm to form, you first “need the ingredients for a regular thunderstorm,”
says Brooks. Those ingredients include warm moisture near the surface and relatively cold, dry air above. “The warm air will be buoyant, and like a hot-air balloon it will rise,” says Brooks.”
