Residents in towns in the North East of Scotland were left stunned after 'mini tornadoes' appeared in the skies following stormy weather. The unusual weather formations, known as funnel clouds, were spotted above Stonehaven and Peterculter on Wednesday, June 10.
Funnel Clouds Spotted in Aberdeenshire
Images shared on social media showed the mini twisters forming underneath dark clouds near Stonehaven in rural Aberdeenshire. Further down the road, more formations appeared behind a home in Peterculter, eight miles from Aberdeen city centre. In several photographs, the tornadoes appeared to be touching the ground.
According to the Met Office, funnel clouds, also known as tuba, are cone-shaped clouds that extend from the base of a cloud and reach toward the ground. They are classified as tornadoes if they touch the ground and are often associated with stormy or unsettled weather.
Residents React to the Phenomenon
Shocked residents said the area had experienced several challenging weather conditions within a matter of hours. Local woman Leslie commented: "Yikes! We had torrential rain and hail here yesterday too! It's been wacky." Linda Fraser added: "Is it just me or is this mini twisters that we’ve seen over the last couple of years really getting more frequent?" Kathleen Stewart remarked: "Wow, what weather, crazy." Some joked about the clouds resembling the film franchise Twister, with Mark Greenhowe saying: "Filming a new Twister movie?"
Met Office Explanation
The Met Office stated: "The meteorological set up supported the development of cumulonimbus clouds with associated heavy showers, hail and some funnel clouds developing."
