Mini Tornado in West Sussex

[FinesseChris]

-- so said the BBC weather forecast at 1300. The weather lady (Ms Showers, think she's called) did say where but I missed the name of the place. Except to hear that trees are down and buildings damaged.
Now as my boat is berthed on the West Sussex-Hants border, I would dearly love to know where the Mini-T struck....
Anyone down there notice a funny whirly feeling?


Chris

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[StellaGirl]

It was in Horsham abouy 8 miles from me, inland and well away from any boats! Heres the latest from the BBC...


Salvage operation after 'tornado'

Reports of a tornado followed damage to about a dozen houses in West Sussex, early on Thursday.
Emergency teams were called after chimneys were blown through roofs in three roads in Horsham at about 4.30am.

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said the roofs were covered in salvage sheets to stop the rain pouring in.

Weather experts said the reported mini-tornado was more likely to be strong winds, but that tornadoes are not unusual in the UK.


It is difficult to ascertain whether there has been a tornado or just strong winds, but people look at the damage to see whether it is spread out in a spiral pattern

Nick Miller, BBC meteorologist

Fire officer Gary Towson said houses were damaged in Brighton Road, St Leonards Road and Kerves Lane.

"When we got there it was dark.

"People had chimneys blown in and others were asleep.

"The extent of the damage was only being realised as people started waking up.

"The worst damage was the chimneys and other properties had minor damage, such as roof tiles blown off, and others lost their TV aerials."

He said Brighton Road was closed but reopened later and representatives from West Sussex County Council and Horsham District Council were at the scene.

Police were also called in the early hours, he added.

Nick Miller, BBC South East broadcast meteorologist, said tornados were not unusual in the UK.

"They come from a particularly big storm cloud where rotation develops, and that rotation, including strong winds, touches the ground.

"They differ somewhat in strength and severity from those that we are used to hearing about in the US.

"Often, it is difficult to ascertain whether there has been a tornado or just strong winds, but people look at the damage to see whether it is spread out in a spiral pattern.

"People often say a tornado sounds like a freight train."



<hr width=100% size=1>Its 11.59am - lets open the beers...

 

[StellaGirl]

URL is:

http:// [url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3741882.stm [/url]

<hr width=100% size=1>Its 11.59am - lets open the beers...

 

[FinesseChris]

Thanks, StellaGirl
Poor old Horsham, but sense of relief here, I'll admit
Chris

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[KevB]

Re: Mini Tornado in London. maybe?

I was riding along Marylebone Rd in London this morning, peeing down with rain but not much wind. About 30mtrs in front of me loads of leaves being blown horizontal across the road then crash a huge tree branch about 30' long lands in the bus lane. By the time I travelled the 30mtrs, no wind. weird!!

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://static.photobox.co.uk/public/images/45/99/10714599.s.jpg?ch=97&rr=16:00:39>Nirvana</A>

 

[ponapay]

Re: Tornadoes sounding like

freight trains.

That is a very good description, I survived one in an Estonian harbour three years ago.

Wind speed was not as great as those in US but it swept along inland for 140 miles from Lohusalu where it first touched down.

The noise was incredible, the local damage was mainly to the electrical power distribution, one of the three phases went down. It meant that one side of the harbour had power and the other did not. Those boats with their bows to the wind, like me, lost power but suffered no damage. The boats on the opposite side with their sterns to the wind retained power but many were damaged or lost their stern anchors.

It was the noise that was most memorable, wind strength was up to about 65 knots, rain was very heavy for a brief period (less than 3 minutes) and it took about 25 minutes for the wind to return to a pleasant breeze. Temperature had been about 42 degrees C and dropped to about 25 after the tornado passed.

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[plombier]

Spirit Radio (West Sussex Commercial Station) was reporting that an Infant school in Felpham (nr Bognor) was damaged during the night. They also said that there had been serveral mini-tornados overnight in West Sussex.

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[oldharry]

3 were reported to have done damage in the space of about an hour in the early hours - one in Horsham, one in Storrington near Arundel, and one in Felpham near Bognor

But rest assured, none in Chichester/ Langstone harbour area, where I live.

Mind you it was a funny old night with wind coming and going, and odd rumbles of thunder, and Chimet logged the wind going right round the compass in the space of around 15 minutes at about the same time but not much above F6.

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