A freak 'dust devil' swept through packed Greenwich Park in south-east London on Sunday (August 9), startling hundreds of sunbathers as England battles widespread drought conditions.
Viral footage filmed by parkgoer Jimmy O’Keeffe shows a tight vortex spinning across bone-dry grass, firing leaves, litter and grit high into the air as people screamed and ran. The spinning column formed in seconds and barrelled straight through picnickers, sending food, blankets and debris flying.
The whirlwind lasted a few minutes before losing energy and disappearing. No injuries or serious damage were reported, and witnesses said most people calmed down once the shock wore off.
Online reaction compares London to the Wild West
Online, Brits compared the capital to a desert. A TikTok user commented: “London so dry it’s turned into the Wild West”. A person penned: “Why is Greenwich no longer green”. Someone else wrote: “Oh hell nah we got tornados in the London server now???” Another added: “London or Arizona?” A separate individual chimed in: “I’m in the southwest and I saw a tumble weed yesterday near a country road, it was a small tumble weed maybe 2/3rd of the size of my phone but I was baffled.”
Despite the scary look, the Met Office says a dust devil isn’t a true tornado. They form on hot, clear days when intense sunshine superheats dry ground, making air rise fast and start spinning, sucking up loose debris.
Drought spreads across most of England
Officials confirmed drought is spreading fast. A joint update released Monday (August 10) by the Environment Agency, Defra, the Met Office and Water Minister Emma Hardy MP said: “Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought as conditions worsen following a dry start to August.”
It added: “Along with the areas announced last week, most of the country (71.3%) is now experiencing a flash drought - which develops very quickly brought about by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures… This takes the total to 45 million people in a drought area. Over 27 million people are now living under restrictions on water use.”
Tony Grayling, the Environment Agency’s Strategic Drought Lead, warned: “Drought conditions are worsening and will continue to do so until we see significant and sustained rainfall.” Met Office head Sarah Davies said: “July 2026 was one of the most remarkable months in the UK’s climate record… these conditions have significantly increased pressure on water resources.” And Emma Hardy said: “As we move through this period of drought, I expect water companies to take every available step to minimise leakage and support customers in using water wisely.”
