A tornado struck Portchester, a village on the eastern boundary of Fareham in Hampshire, shortly after midnight on Friday, leaving a reported land track of approximately 1.6 kilometres. The rare weather phenomenon came as the season's first named storm brought gusts of up to 84mph, causing widespread disruption and chaos.
The tornado was associated with heavy showers moving inland from the English Channel as Storm Austen brought unsettled weather to the region. The Tornado & Storm Research Organisation (TORRO), which described the event as "weak", says further analysis is expected to establish more details about its track, intensity and any potential damage caused.
Resident recalls 'massive bang'
One shocked local, Kevin Saunders, told The News he woke up to a "massive bang" and thought his "roof was lifting off". He said: "It was an intense rush of wind and I thought my roof was lifting off.
"Then all of a sudden we heard a massive bang, which all we can put it down to is my neighbour's garden wall has gone down, so we think it was that."
Kevin had not initially considered that the rare weather phenomenon could have been a tornado until he received a surprise knock on the door from TORRO representatives on Friday.
Storm Austen causes widespread disruption
The opening named storm of the 2026/2027 autumn winter season delivered powerful gales and torrential downpours across swathes of the UK. In Brighton, part of the iconic West Pier - an abandoned structure that first opened in 1866 - collapsed into the sea. Thousands of homes remain without power in south-west England as the second storm hit the UK in just more than 24 hours.
Storm Boelo's strong winds and heavy, frequent showers are set to batter northern parts of the UK with gusts potentially exceeding 80mph. A large yellow warning for very wet and windy weather stretches across the whole of the UK's north and is in place until 9pm on Sunday.
Flood alerts and warnings issued
The Environment Agency has issued 22 alerts for spots across England where flooding is possible, as well as a warning that flooding is expected at New Brighton, Merseyside, because of high tides in the Irish Sea.
The Met Office has also issued a 21-hour power cut warning for 34 areas on Sunday, and six "act now" flood warnings have been issued across the UK as Storm Boelo continues to bring chaos.
