A rare waterspout has been spotted off the coast of Cornwall, with possible tornado activity also reported in Kent and Essex. The spinning column of air and water was seen moving along the eastern side of Looe Island before tracking over the coast and bringing heavy rain.
Fierce winds in Essex reportedly damaged a house and trees as roof tiles were torn off and a chimney stack was smashed to the ground. Residents in Frinton-on-Sea reported a sudden blast of powerful winds at around 11.40am on Sunday, with the damaged home and trees located around Rainham Way and Stansted Way.
Witness describes sudden winds
Resident Gillian Lamb was gardening at her nearby home in Newport Way when the winds struck. She said: "Leaves and sticks were doing a little swirl and did whoosh all around. It wasn't a normal sort of behaviour for the leaves."
She added: "Then the rain came a bit heavier, and then we just went inside because obviously it had got too difficult to garden." The fierce winds lasted no more than five minutes, Ms Lamb said, blowing cushions off her garden furniture. Her own property escaped the damage, but a neighbouring home was hit.
Experts investigate possible tornado
Experts at the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) said it was too early to confirm whether the Essex incident was a tornado or strong gusts linked to showers. However, they said a waterspout could have formed over the sea before moving inland, following similar reports off the Kent coast earlier on Sunday.
A TORRO spokesperson said: "We have already received reports of waterspouts off the Kent coast earlier on Sunday morning, so it's possible this may have been a waterspout initially that came onshore. We won't know exactly whether this was a tornado, or just strong, gusty winds associated with the showers, until a full investigation into the damage has been undertaken."
Weather conditions and warnings
Despite high pressure dominating much of the UK, experts said a "cold pool aloft coming westward" from the continent had created unstable conditions above unusually warm seas following a hot summer. Waterspouts are a type of tornado that form over water. They typically cause less severe damage because they develop over the sea, although they can be dangerous if they move ashore.
TORRO is appealing for anyone with information about the incidents to contact the organisation. This comes as Cornwall is among dozens of areas that are going to be hit by powerful winds on Friday. The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind that will stay in place between midnight and noon on Friday. The forecaster warned of "damaging gusts and transport disruption", adding that flying debris poses "danger to life". Power cuts may also occur. Storm Austen has also been named by the Met Office as the first storm of the season - and it will batter the UK from Thursday.
